Chapter 1 – Crash
Plot: Obi-Wan surviving the Death Star leads to Vader's TIE fighter being shot down in the dogfight over its surface as it approaches the Rebel base at Yavin IV. And when Vader crashes on the planet, not too far from the Rebels, Leia finds herself dealing with much more than her grief over losing Alderaan and her family there as she comes face to face with her birth father.
Author's Note: This is a gift fic for Sweetheart_era on ao3 for the SW Father-Daughter Appreciation Gift Exchange!
Also, it was partially inspired by the song Heroes by Måns Zelmerlöw, so it's a part of the Star Wars Playlist Challenge hosted by Riftwalker on ao3. :)
There are three chapters, and I'll release them weekly on Monday. ^-^
~ Amina Gila
Warning: Obi-Wan is being Obi-Wan.
Vader is occasionally on drugs and being traumatizingly un-Vader-like. Also, he's trying very hard to be nice, but he's not quite sure how to be anymore. :P
And Leia is done with the universe and needs a hug. (Well, so does her dad. :D)
Also, there's a lot more to the story than I cut out because it was supposed to focus on Vader and Leia, so hopefully it doesn't feel jumpy. :P
~ Tirana Sorki
"We're twins?" Leia repeats slowly, disbelievingly.
"What?!" Luke echoes, equally shocked. Leia turns, staring at the blonde-haired boy. She felt a connection towards him from the moment he came into her cell on the Death Star, but she had no idea what it meant. There hadn't been time to think about it either.
Twins. They're siblings. She has a brother.
"You were separated at birth to ensure your safety," Ben explains.
"Why?" Leia asks, frowning, "Why wouldn't it have been safe?" She's still reeling from the information, and it's easier to think of that right now, than about – about –
(Alderaan explodes again, in her mind's eye, and she struggles to bury the image.)
"Your father was strong in the Force, and if the Emperor knew of your identities, it would be dangerous."
They have the same father. Biological father, that is.
Wait, and Luke's last name...
"Who's –" Leia starts to ask.
"Anakin Skywalker," Luke interjects, sounding just as mind-blown, "He and Ben were... friends."
"Oh," is the most she can come up with. She still remembers with vivid clarity what Ben had told her about her biological parents. It was important to her, even if she was perfectly content with the family she had.
Of course, she knows who that is. He's famous, even if most information about the Jedi is lost now. Her father knew him personally, and she's heard a lot about Ben and Anakin. But he's dead now. Suddenly it makes sense why Ben always talked about her parents with an underlying note of pain.
"If you're alright with talking about it, I'd like to know more about him," she says.
Ben nods. "Later. For now, we had best focus on the evacuation." He shifts, frowning, and it reminded her often of what it was like ten years ago, when he was sensing something with the Force. "We must move quickly, before the Empire shows up."
Leia nods resolutely.
The Rebel Alliance survived, but barely. If Luke had taken only a few seconds longer to blow up the Death Star, Yavin and the hope for the galaxy would be space dust. They need to get out and fast.
After that –
There is no after. The true weight of it, the agonizing desperate denial, doesn't hit her until that moment. There is no after because Alderaan is gone. She can't go back home. There is nothing but the Alliance for her now.
She failed her people, her planet. They were supposed to be careful, to avoid tying anything back to Alderaan, and she failed. Everyone she ever knew paid the price for it. The thought makes her – sick, or... She can't even put into words.
But most of all, she feels numb. She should feel something more, knowing her entire planet, her entire life is gone, but she feels nothing. It makes the guilt worse, because why doesn't she feel anything?! She knows it's shock, but it's still... Her parents are dead, too, because of her failure.
She has duties to the Rebellion, though, and that's what she needs to focus on.
Ben leaves, and Leia pauses for a moment, exchanging a glance with Luke. He hasn't stopped looking at her, either. They're family. She – she does still have a family, even if she's never imagined what a sibling would be like. She hardly knows what that means.
"We're twins," Luke blurts, still staring at her.
Leia nods. "Yes. We – we are." She shakes her head, trying to refocus on the present. "Come. There's much to be done."
They don't get far. A Rebel officer approaches, reporting that there's a crashed Imperial shuttle a distance away from the base. And from the looks of the TIE, it might be Vader's.
Suddenly, that strange feeling in the Force that's been nagging at her makes so much sense.
Vader.
He's here, on the moon.
And that's – No, they can't be too late. She hasn't heard much of Vader until recently, but he's the best military leader the Imperials have, and she knows him a little too personally, thanks for asking.
She has no desire to encounter him again. Not right now, not so soon. But if he's crashed, they might have a chance to take him out.
"I'll check it out," Leia declares determinedly, straightening. She ignores the chilling fear snaking up her spine, just thinking about it. Are they already too late to escape? Maybe all the Rebels together would be able to handle him, but... She doesn't know. Unless he's injured or something, but she isn't going to count on it.
"I'm coming," Luke decides, instantly.
"You're going alone?" the Rebel officer objects.
Leia shakes her head. "If this is Vader, I don't know if anything we throw at him will be enough. I won't put anyone else in danger until we know with certainty. If I don't report back soon, you can assume it's him and prepare for an attack. The rest of you need to focus on evacuating." That is the only chance they have.
"Yes, sir," the Rebel officer replies, and the two head out, climbing onto speeders.
Alderaan was lost to protect the Alliance. Maybe it would have been lost anyway, but... She will not let the Rebellion fail. She owes it to her people, her family. They will succeed. They have to.
**w**
Following the trail of smoke through the woods is simple enough. Leia brings her speeder to a stop a short distance away, climbing off, and the two creep quietly through the trees, towards the crash site.
The fighter is mostly in pieces, but that coldness, that chilling darkness she can feel in the air instantly draws her eyes to wear Vader is lying on the ground a short distance way. Motionless.
Cautiously, Leia creeps a little closer.
Luke's expression is darkened with anger. Something about it looks too personal, and she shoots him a questioning look.
"He killed our father," he hiss-whispers.
What?! That's – it – It's too much right now, for her brain to suddenly process.
She breaths in deeply, keeping herself under control, regardless of her personal feelings on the matter. She doesn't know what she feels really, so she only nods slightly, never taking her eyes off the cyborg.
Luke steps a little closer, out of the tree line, and Leia follows uncertainly. "Is he dead?" her brother asks dubiously.
"I don't know. I hope so." For a vicious moment, she really does. She – she wants the Empire to hurt. She wants to make them pay for Alderaan, even if Tarkin is already dead.
The helmeted head turns suddenly, slightly. One of his limbs is twitching, as though he's trying and failing to move it. It seems that's about the most he can do. His respirator is making noises that sound as though he's taking his dying breaths, and a strange staticky sound comes from the vocoder when he starts speaking. "It is to your misfortune that I am not."
Leia bristles instantly. "You are the one immobile here, Vader. I don't think you're in much place to speak of 'misfortune'."
"You overstate your Rebellion's chances, Princess."
The comment gets under her skin like nothing else, only because she knows how true it is. If the Empire shows up fast enough, there'll be no more hope for them. And thankfully Vader is... a little too injured to do anything beyond killing the two of them – if he can even do that. He could be useful for information, maybe. If they could get him to talk which is... not very likely.
She's used to often being able to pick up on other people's emotions, though – now she finally understands why – and she doesn't know why she can feel a strange amount of fear from Vader. Well, she actually felt that around him constantly, but it seems stronger now. And she highly doubts it's of the Rebellion, so she doesn't know who it is of.
Luke's face is twisted with a quiet fury. "You killed my father," he growls, looking very close to pulling the trigger on his blaster.
"I have killed... many. I know not of whom you speak."
"He was Ben's friend," Luke snaps.
A sudden chill coils through the air. "Is that why he gave you the lightsaber?" he demands, lowly, "He intends to train you?"
Leia only has half a second to wonder if Vader is really implying that he recognizes whose lightsaber Luke has – actually who's is it? – before Luke keeps talking. "It's my father's," he snaps.
Everything around them seems to still, including the coldness. Luke should probably not have said that, so she doesn't know why she doesn't have the immediate feeling that it was a serious mistake.
"Your father," Vader repeats, "Was... Anakin Skywalker?"
"What of it?" Leia retaliates.
"You are... twins?" he asks, after a long pause.
"No," she snaps, maybe a little too quickly. It somehow screams of a lie, and – if the answer was really a 'no' she should have been like 'where did you even get such a thing from?' or something of that nature. Not – what she just said. Why did she say that? There's no way it isn't obvious what the real answer is, and Ben had warned them about this, and... How did he even overhear what Luke said when they were still in the trees?!
The respirator cycles a few more times before Vader speaks again. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."
"We know you killed him. I think that's enough," Leia shoots back.
"No, I am your father."
She nearly chokes on air. What –?! "No," she snaps, glaring, finding her voice again, "You're lying."
"That's impossible," Luke retaliates, taking a step away, shaking his head.
"Search your feelings. You know it to be true."
But it can't be. It can't – She doesn't feel a lie to it, though. That's something she's always been able to sense. But – but that doesn't make any sense, because why would Ben lie to them about that?! He said Anakin was dead. She can see why he wouldn't want to tell them that he's with the Empire, maybe, but –
Vader is her biological father. All these years she's spent occasionally wondering who he is, and –
"No," Luke denies, shaking his head again, eyes wide, obviously sensing the truth in it, "No."
"It – it doesn't matter," Leia retorts, struggling to recover herself and keep her voice steely, "You're still a prisoner of the Rebellion now."
That's – that – It's all she can jump to now because her mind feels like it's shutting down with everything that's been dumped on her. She just found her brother, which rekindled an interest in knowing more about her birth family, and now this. It's too much.
Vader says nothing immediately, oddly enough, and Leia spins around, stalking into the edge of the trees again, making the call to base. "We found him," she reports, "He's injured but alive. I imagine he has information that could be of... use, but he will need treatment. Be prepared for a fight." She doesn't know if that's necessary, but she won't take chances.
Leia can feel the shock and disbelief radiating from Luke and Vader, too, which makes it weirder. He had no idea. Apparently.
"Why would Ben say you killed Anakin, if you're really him?" Luke demands, backing away to stand near the tree line. He looks like his entire world was just shattered – which is pretty much the truth.
"Anakin was weak. I destroyed him."
Huh?
Luke stares. "That doesn't make sense. You said you were him."
"That name no longer has any meaning to me," he replies shortly.
What is this, some kind of mental identity separation? She doesn't understand any of this. It doesn't make sense. She is going to be demanding answers from Ben as soon as they get back to base and get this taken care of.
A strange silence settles over them, beyond the broken noises from Vader's respirator. He obviously can still somewhat breathe – assuming the respirator isn't there for decoration. She doesn't think so, though. Both his hands were metal, and in the Force (because apparently, that's how she just senses these things) he just feels... Something. She doesn't know how to describe it.
They don't have to wait much longer before an entire Rebel squadron shows up, to take him back to base.
Ben is the first off the transport, casing a sideways glance at Vader before pointedly turning away, hurrying over to Luke and Leia.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Leia demands.
He frowns. "What?"
"You told us Anakin was dead!"
His expression tightens instantly, and she gets the feeling this is going to be a very long talk.
**w**
It is, in fact, a very long talk, and its abundantly clear Ben has no interest in giving her half the details she wants. All she gets out of this is that Vader helped destroy the Jedi, and 'the good person Anakin was, was destroyed.'
Also, she has some major questions about what was going on ten years ago, because both of them seem infatuated with each other in the talk-about-non-stop-but-never-want-to-see sort of way.
And both of them seem to have dissociated Anakin from Vader, for whatever reason. She has no reason to do so when she never knew Anakin in the first place. She wants more details on all of this, but right now, her mind is too much of a mess to even think about asking anything. She's still trying to process that Vader is...
She's related to him. He's –
Bail and Breha will always be her true parents, but that doesn't change this. It serves as a distraction from Alderaan, though, so she clings to it greedily.
Needless to say, Ben is less than happy with the current turn of events.
Leia's hardly had any time to recover from any of this, but there's no time to slow down right now. Vader is asking to speak with her and Luke. He's currently in a holding cell on a Rebel ship, now that they finished somewhat repairing his apparently broken spine, although if they're keeping him, he'll need more 'repairs' than just that, because apparently his medical condition is a nightmare. She didn't ask for details since it's technically confidential unless they actually need to know it.
Ben doesn't want them anywhere near him. Which she gets, but now isn't the time for it. She finally compromised with him on only going to see Vader herself, since she technically has an Alliance rank that would enable her to question prisoners anyway. Luke, not so much, but he seems too mind-blown about it all to be bothered right now.
She can't say why she isn't refusing. Someone needs to, after all. She has no doubt that Vader could have already broken out if he wanted to, which means he must want something.
Nervousness snakes down her spine as she stops outside Vader's cell door. She has no idea how this is going to go, and the last time she was in a cell with him was... not something she much wants to dwell on.
She won't just leave, though. Because she won't.
Vader is sitting when she enters, which immediately strikes her as a little odd. Is he still injured? Did they not treat it? She can... maybe understand why they wouldn't finish treating him, because it's not mystery how dangerous he is.
That doesn't mean it sits very well with her, just on principle. They're... basically denying him medical treatment unless he's cooperative. Or something. She'd have to talk to command about that. It's things like this that she really didn't want an involvement with at first, when she was first getting to know about the Rebellion and everything. She'll support it because her parents did, but that doesn't mean she's happy about doing things like this.
There's nothing to restrain his Force ability, so he probably could just break out any time it suits him. Assuming he can move anyway. It's... admittedly unsettling, but she refuses to show it. "Vader," Leia greets icily, crossing her arms as she stares at him, "What do you want?"
The helmeted head turns to study her. "You seek to destroy the Emperor."
She gives him a dubious look. "Astute observation."
"You are not powerful enough to do it alone," he replies. "If you and your brother join me, we can overthrow him together."
What?!
For a moment, all she can do is gape. "Clearly,you suffered brain damage during the crash."
"Your Rebellion is insignificant next to the power of the Emperor," Vader warns, ominously.
They may have escaped Yavin, but – She knows just how hopeless this really feels. Especially with the extents the Empire is going to crush out all resistance. More are rallying to their cause now, as rumors of what really happened to Alderaan get out, but... (She struggles to force away the memory of it exploding, as it replays in front of her eyes again.)
Leia scoffs. "With what the Empire has done, more and more systems will turn against it."
"You will destroy all order in the galaxy, and still fail to destroy the Emperor."
"There is no order in the galaxy to begin with."
She's expecting an instant retort, but the respirator cycles a few times before he says anything. "You desire vengeance."
"How is that relevant to anything?" Leia snaps. Not like it isn't true, but so what? She's not trying to destroy the Empire out of revenge. It's for the people, for freedom.
"Join me, and I will teach you of the Dark Side. Only then will you be strong enough to destroy the Emperor. We can overthrow him, and you can rule the galaxy in his stead." He sounds... almost hopeful?
She blinks. This is – is – what?! Ben seemed so worried that he was going to hurt her but instead he wants to – what?! Not that she even believes it, but... "You expect me to believe you're planning to turn on the Emperor?" That doesn't even make any sense.
"I have intended to, but he is powerful –"
"Too powerful for a psychic like you to kill if you really wanted?" Leia asks dubiously. What he's saying doesn't feel like a lie, but it's too outlandish for her to believe. It doesn't even make any sense. Why would Vader randomly decide he wants to kill the Emperor?
Vader sounds angry now, though at what, she isn't sure. "He is my master, and before I had no reason."
"And now you suddenly have a reason?"
"When the Emperor learns of you and your power, he will seek to destroy you."
Ben was warning them of the same thing, but he seemed to think Vader would do likewise. She certainly isn't seeing that, but she'd be more inclined to trust Ben's word than Vader's. Although she'd known all this time that Ben was hiding things, and she's still pretty sure he is, so maybe... She just won't trust what either of them are saying right now. "Why would that matter to you?"
He's quiet for a pause, his anger fading more into something else she can't quite put a label on. "I believed you dead. I would have searched for you, had I known you were alive."
Somehow, the reply leaves her mind feeling so muddled it takes a moment to think through her reply. He – his entire attitude is suddenly different now because he knows they're his biological children. It... matters to him. Apparently.
She doesn't know how much it matters to her, but – She always did want to meet her biological parents, but not – not like this. Not an Imperial, especially one so high up and known for his brutality – which she's a little too acquainted with, and she still doesn't understand how Anakin ended up with the Empire.
Unless Vader's just being manipulative, but she doesn't entirely believe that – even if she far from trusts what he is saying. He sounds... strangely hopeful? Almost.
"Why would you think we were dead?" Leia demands finally, voice hard.
"Did Obi-Wan never tell you what happened?" Vader questions harshly, that coldness suddenly back in the air.
"He told me you and... Anakin weren't the same. That you betrayed the Jedi, siding with the Emperor, and we were kept in hiding away from the Sith," Leia retorts, "And that doesn't answer my question."
He's quiet for a strangely long pause, but he seems restless. Very unhappy that he's stuck sitting right now. "The Emperor told me your mother died," he replies. She can't be sure if she imagined the underlying note of pain there or not.
It's – How is she supposed to handle this?
Apparently, his family matters to him. It's – it shouldn't be so shocking, though. She doesn't know what led Vader to this point, not with who he used to be. She doesn't know why he's in the state he's in now.
She doesn't know what to think of him either, but that doesn't really matter. She needs to do what's in the best interest of the Alliance. (Of Alderaan.) "If you want to destroy Sidious, then tell the Rebellion the information you have on the Empire."
"I will not senselessly destroy the Empire," Vader snaps, pointing at her.
Leia gives him a most unimpressed look. "You just finished saying you wanted to destroy it."
"The Emperor and the Empire are two entirely separate entities."
Is that why he was vaguely implying he expected her to be Empress or something? "They're both equally corrupt," she retorts icily.
"You fight to restore the Republic, but it's corruption was worse than that of the Empire."
She glares. "The Republic may have had problems, but at least they didn't go around enslaving and massacring people." Something in her twists, as Alderaan replays in front of her again. She can't understand why she doesn't really feel the impact of it yet. It still doesn't feel real. Maybe she should be glad of that.
"The entire army of the Republic were slaves," Vader retorts. He's suddenly vibrating with a nearly visible anger, "The Republic allowed slavery under the name of 'sentient cargo' all across their territory. That is no longer a problem under the Empire." Only because the Empire enslaves the people instead, she's tempted to snap, but he goes on without letting her interrupt. "The corruptness and short-sightedness of the Senators led to the death of billions, even of their own civilians. Effective leadership would have prevented all of it. With the Empire, there is a chance at order."
Not all of what he's saying is wrong, though she's tempted to argue only for the sake of arguing. She doesn't know what the Republic was like, though. Bail always told her it was much better than the Empire, but he did constantly mention all the corruption. "At least with the Republic, the people had a voice to change things," Leia snaps, "And none of what the Republic did or didn't do changes what the Empire has done."
The cyborg seems to deflate a little – even though his position hardly changes at all. "The failings of the Empire are because of the Emperor. If another were in control, it could be improved. If the Empire collapses, the entire galaxy would shatter."
That... is probably true. There's a reason her father wanted to pursue a diplomatic solution until he couldn't anymore. (Her father who is now dead because of the Empire.) But this is the point of 'couldn't anymore'. She doesn't see another option but fighting. "The galaxy will shatter in time regardless, under rule like this," she argues stubbornly.
"With you in the Emperor's stead, the galaxy may yet be... stabilized."
He's serious. He's really serious that he's offering her the chance to be the Empress, and all she can do is stare. He doesn't like the Emperor, but apparently he does like the Empire. Leia really doesn't get the difference. (Nor does she get the strange way Vader is acting now that he knows who she is.) "I have no interest in being an Empress."
"An Empire is the only way."
She lets out a frustrated breath. "I think we can work out those details later. The first step would be dealing with the Emperor in the first place, and we can't just go straight to Coruscant. That's what the purpose of the Rebellion is."
"You must be trained first," he insists.
Trained.
When did that come into the picture?
Why did it never really occur to her until right now that she could be trained in using the Force?
"I'm not leaving the Alliance," Leia retorts, "Neither is Luke. If you really want to help us, you'll have to do that here." Besides, at this point, they have to figure something out with Vader. She's pretty sure he could find a way out of here eventually even if he is injured, figure out where they are, and... They'll all be done for.
He does not seem happy, but it's not like anyone is in this situation. "I will train you here, but the Rebellion must cease its attempts at dismantling the Empire and focus on the Emperor when the time comes."
"I'll talk to the Alliance Council about it," Leia decides finally, "Except for the... Force part." There is no way she's letting anyone know that she's Vader's daughter. Ever.
She decides to leave it at that, stepping out of the cell, breathing a quiet sigh of not quite relief.
That went better than expected. Actually, she doesn't know what she expected, but it doesn't matter. She has work to do.
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