The ship's alarm started to blare as Anakin dragged himself off the floor and looked at Obi-Wan and Leia. They seemed mostly unhurt, but Leia was clinging to his old master's hand with big eyes.

"BEN!" The com unit by the doors came to life. "Are you there?!"

Obi-Wan hurried to the wall and hit the panel. Leia was close at his heels. "I'm here, Tala. Is it the Empire? Have they found us?"

"No. It's pirates." Tala's voice was grim and laced with disgust. "They came out of nowhere, hit our engine hard. I don't think we can outrun them. Roken is trying to buy us time in an asteroid field. They are going to be able to board us soon."

Another blast rattled the ship, and Anakin steadied himself with both hands as he tried to peer out the window, looking for their attackers.

"You should take the flight pod, Ben." Tala shouted now. "Get Leia and Anakin out of here. These brutes will use anything and everything to their advantage, and I'm going to guess that finding two living legends like General Skywalker and General Kenobi, plus a princess, would be one of the best payouts they could get. Get your friend out of here, keep him hidden. Get Leia home."

"But Tala-"

"And Ben?" The com started to crackle as it shorted out. "Take care of yourself, alright? You're not as lost as you think you are."

"TALA!" Obi-Wan cried, staring at the wall as though the woman would come through it to answer him.

"We have to go help!" Leia exclaimed.

Her voice jerked Obi-Wan out of his moment and he studied both of his charges before making a decision.

Obi-Wan stumbled to Anakin as the ship shuddered violently again.

"Pirates or not, Tala is right. She's a princess and you're a legend who's easily recognizable, even now. You both need to be far from here when they board. They'll exploit anything and anyone they get their hands on for a profit. We CANNOT risk the Empire knowing you're alive, nor can we risk Leia falling back into their hands. Take her and go, Anakin."

"What!? NO!" Leia's eyes went huge as she struggled to stay on her feet. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Master-" Anakin began, knowing his tone was almost comically similar to the girl's.

"Do NOT argue with me. Either of you." Obi-Wan snapped, pointing at each of them in turn and giving a face Anakin knew all too well. He looked pointedly at Anakin and added seriously, "You know the truth now. Get her to safety. I'll get the others safe and meet up with you. I'll be alright."

Anakin hesitated, then nodded grimly as he reached for Leia's shoulder.

She ducked out from under his hand, staring at Obi-Wan incredulously and breathing quickly.

"No. No. I'm not leaving you." She told the older Jedi, setting her chin defiantly.

"I'll be right behind you." Obi-Wan promised, cupping her chin just as he started to move away. "Go with Anakin, Leia. He'll keep you safe. I promise."

"NO!" Leia refused again, moving as if to go after Obi-Wan. "You can't leave me again!"

"It will be alright, Leia." Obi-Wan said reassuringly, sending a subtle wave of calm through the force towards the girl before locking eyes with Anakin. "Get her to the pod. Now."

The ship rocked violently again and Leia's little legs wobbled under her as she skidded back towards Anakin while Obi-Wan sprinted for the bridge. Anakin caught her before she hit the floor.

"Let me go!" Leia ordered, squirming in his grip as though she expected to get free easily and panicking when she realized he was clearly stronger than she anticipated him being in his condition. "LET GO! I'M NOT LEAVING BEN!"

"I'm sorry, Leia. I can't do that." Anakin said, his heart thundering in his chest as he was hit with another strong wave of fear from the girl in his arms when they moved towards the pod.

"We can't LEAVE him!" Leia begged, tears finally making it into her voice as her fingers dug into his skin and she kicked him.

"He'll be alright, Leia. He's made it out of worse scrapes." Anakin tried to sound calm and sure of himself, just like he remembered Qui-gon all those years ago.

He entered the Pod, set Leia down and started its launch sequence with one hand while holding on to Leia's arm with the other. With a start at minimal power they might manage to escape without drawing too much attention. It would even out their odds significantly.

"Let me go." Leia demanded again, holding her chin high and struggling to keep her voice even as she glared daggers at him. He could practically feel the heat from her gaze cutting through him and could feel her itching to kick him in the shins again. "You should use both hands for that."

"If you try to leave, I will stop you." Anakin warned without looking up from the controls as he rapidly reset the codes.

"I would never do something like that." Leia answered, her tone contrite and defeated.

Anakin almost believed her.

Releasing her arm, he sailed through the rest of his calculations and settled into the pilot's chair.

"Strap in. This might get bumpy."

Leia moved as though she were going to comply, but darted for the doors at the last second.

Without thinking, Anakin reached his hand out and caught her again, this time using The Force so he could finish the launch with his other hand. Leia was too shocked to utter more than a gasp as he tugged her back from the door and plopped her gently in a seat.

"I said strap in," Anakin said firmly as he peered out into space and waited for the right moment. Seconds later he seized it and they were breaking away. The Force whispered a soft warning as Leia nearly lurched to the floor and he found himself catching her again like the last time with a tiny twitch of his hand.

She buckled the straps this time, still staring at him with a mix of awe and fear that overrode her concern for Obi-Wan and the others.

"I can't believe you're just going to leave him! We're running away?!" She asked accusingly. "After he saved your life?! We could have helped them! He cares about you! How can you just leave him behind!?"

"Trust me, Leia." Anakin murmured, letting The Force sing through him as he flew the ship through the asteroid field and circled round on the enemy ship undetected. There was something VERY familiar about one particular presence on the ship. If he was right, Obi-Wan wasn't in too much trouble, just an annoying ride. "We aren't going far."

Confusion rippled through the bond he shared with her and she was silent for a moment.

"Ben could be hurt. Or Tala." Leia said a little desperately. "Please, Anakin! Please take us back? I…I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Anakin flinched at the plea, but his resolve was firm and steady.

"They won't be killed." He said quietly. "They'll capture them, gloat about it, take the ship and head to a hideout. Then they'll find uses for them, probably to make some money but they won't kill them."

"How do you know?"

"Because we've had dealings with this particular pirate before."

"But how do you know?!" Leia's tone took on an edge of suspicion.

"I sensed his presence. It's pretty distinct and he's one individual I would never quickly forget."

"Is he dangerous?"

"Yes. He's smart, conniving, double-crossing, and cheap. But mostly he's just a pain in the neck with a shaky sense of morality deep down."

"Then we should go back and help!"

"No," Anakin said, maneuvering the tiny ship along the blind spot of the pirate ship and latching onto the belly of the vessel with more practice and ease than he was expecting to have. At least some things didn't change. "We're going to wait until his guard is down. THEN we help."

Leia snorted and crossed her arms. "Well, how long is that going to take!?"

Lowering all power as far as he dared, Anakin ignored the girl for a moment as he scanned the situation, eyes closed and probing through both ships. He located Obi-Wan's presence easily enough and his master's signature flared with obvious exasperation when he brushed up against it. The message was clear as their old bond opened like a rusty door.

-You never listen to me-

Smiling, Anakin couldn't help himself.

-It's not my fault. Leia is very persuasive.-

-Don't blame your own spawn, Anakin, even if it's probably true.- Obi-Wan's thoughts wavered for a moment as though distracted by something else, then he whispered, -They boarded the ship and have taken us prisoner. I think he's taking us to whatever sewer he calls a hide out now. The ship was damaged, so they're going to toe it. I suppose you're hiding somewhere nearby waiting for this blasted nuisance to let his guard down.-

-You know me well, master.-

"Are you even listening to me!?"

Leia was out of her seat now, standing next to him with an irritated expression that was all too familiar.

Anakin startled and stared at Leia for a moment, struggling to remind himself that this was not Padme because only Padme had ever snarled like that. Come to think of it, she usually only ever used to do it when she hadn't eaten all day. Leia must have gotten that from her mother. Not even he got THAT cranky without food.

"I think I know what's going on here." He said quietly, forcing himself to his feet and crossing the small space to rummage around in a compartment for the emergency rations most pods had stored on them. He fished out two emergency blankets while he was at it. The small space was going to grow cold with the decreased power.

"What now." Leia snapped as she slumped down the wall to sit on the floor. "What are you doing?"

Anakin tossed a meal pack in her lap. "Eat."

Leia blinked at it, then scowled. "No."

"You'll feel better if you eat."

"Well, I'm not eating and you can't make me. I want to go help Ben."

The corners of Anakin's mouth twitched up even as pain twisted his heart. She really was so much like her mother.

"Alright. Don't eat. But unless you do, I'm not telling you my plan to rescue Obi-Wan and the others, and if you don't rest I won't let you help."

Leia narrowed her eyes and challenged, "Do you even have a plan?"

Anakin settled on the floor nearby as though to meditate, closing his eyes calmly and ignoring the shooting pain caused by each movement. His hope was to sink into a light healing trace before the fun began. He guessed they had at least an hour or two with toeing the ship. "Of course I have a plan. I even have a Plan B."

Leia was quiet for a while and he could feel her studying him, weighing his words unconsciously with The Force and poking at him. He let his walls drop a little so she could get a read on his surface, focusing on projecting warm, calming waves.

"I'm not hungry." Leia stated stubbornly, though Anakin could sense the lie.

"The Empire must have fed you better than they fed me then." Anakin answered quietly, meaning it as a light rebuke, but wincing when he felt Leia flinch beside him.

Worry and unease slipped in making Anakin shift a little where he sat. He didn't know what he was doing. This was his child, yet he felt utterly clueless when it came to helping her. She was scared, hungry, didn't trust him and he was extremely out of practice with anyone, let alone children.

"I can tell you care about Obi-Wan very much." He tried a different approach, forcing his body to remain quiet and calm with each breath he took. All turmoil from the day was carefully locked away for later viewing and instead he let The Force guide his words.

"His name is Ben now." Leia growled. "You should use it."

"Alright. Ben it is." Anakin conceded, wanting her to feel she was getting some wins here. "You care a lot about him…I think maybe so much that you are trying to keep him safe from how you have been feeling."

"What would you know about how I have been feeling?" Leia asked testily, though Anakin recognized light panic in the air around her.

"You don't want him to feel guilty, or to hurt, so you hide the ways you are struggling." Anakin told her, drawing on the peace of the light a little more as he spotted the presence of his own character traits in the girl.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Leia asked, bobbing her head with an attitude that might have rivaled his own at one time. "He's ALWAYS feeling guilty, and then something makes him feel worse, he gets lost in his bad memories and it hurts him. Someone's gotta take care of him."

"You want to take care of him and spare him more turmoil. I understand that." Anakin paused, weighing out his next words carefully. "You know…you don't need to protect me from it. You can let go a little. I already know you are very brave. You don't need to prove it to me."

Leia went still, staring at the meal pack in her lap and fiddling with the edges as her lower lip wobbled dangerously. For a while she didn't speak and Anakin mentally kicked himself. Clearly he'd gone too far and said something he shouldn't have. Why on earth would she trust him to talk to him anyway? They didn't really know each other, regardless of the connection they'd shared since possibly the day of her birth.

Drawing a long, deep breath and wrestling for the strength he found in The Force, he opted for waiting rather than speaking again.

"You're broken too." Leia said softly. "Just like him."

"Yes. I am." Anakin agreed honestly. There was no hiding it, so why pretend. "However, how Ben or I handle our pain is not your job, no matter how much your caring heart wants it to be."

Leia set her jaw and looked out the viewport of the ship.

After about ten minutes Leia said flatly, "She was right."

"Who was right?"

"The Inquisitor. She said the braver you seem the more afraid you really are. I'm not brave at all. Not really. I'm just good at pretending."

Anakin opened his eyes and looked down at her, chest constricting with compassion and more understanding than she would ever know.

"Leia. You are probably one of the bravest people I have ever met. And I have known many brave people."

Shaking her head adamantly, Leia scrubbed angrily at a big fat tear that escaped from the ends of her lashes. "I'm NOT. I've been s-so s-cared this-whole time! Ever since th-they took me on Alderaan! A-and when they took me to that fortress -anand told me Ben was d-dead- t-that no one was coming for m-me and then t-they-"

The child broke off, looking away and setting her chin stubbornly as she tried not to cry.

"Do you know what they used to call me, during the Clone Wars?" Anakin asked quietly, fiddling with his thumbs as he worked to keep the anger that burned inside from outweighing rational thought. Her screams for help echoed back to him, filling his mind.

He looked out the viewport of the little ship.

Leia shook her head, sniffling as she tried in vain to stop the flow of tears and waiting for him to continue.

"They called me The Hero Without Fear. And they also called me The Chosen One." Anakin's face twisted into a grimace. "They all believed I was the bravest and strongest of them, and I thought I had to be. I was told from the time I was about your age that I was going to deliver the galaxy from the Dark Side and bring Balance to The Force. They expected so much of me, right from the start. I felt alone a lot. I lost my way many times. I was desperate to prove myself worthy and not disappoint everyone…and I was constantly struggling with fear. I was told all fear leads to the Dark Side, and so I believed I was weak if I was ever afraid. Like you I didn't let it show. I was terrified I would be found out. Afraid I would fail. Afraid of fear itself. The last thing I wanted was to prove unworthy of the titles placed upon me."

Anakin paused to glance down at the girl and found she was listening closely.

"That's a lot of pressure." Leia whispered, sounding way too grown up to be ten.

"It was." Anakin agreed grimly. "One good thing came from my captivity. When I was awake I had a lot of time to reflect. Over time, I realized something. Fear isn't exactly a bad thing. It keeps us alert, cautious and careful. It keeps us safe from things that can hurt us, it warns us of danger, and most of all, it humbles us when we get too full of ourselves, driving us back to that which gives us courage and strength. Can too much fear make people do bad things out of desperation and anger? Yes. Absolutely. But being scared, in and of itself is NOT weakness, Leia. And you ARE brave because you stood for what was right even though you were afraid. Without fear, we can never know how strong we really are in the Light. Without the acceptance of the moments when we are scared, there can be no peace."

Leia's chin trembled and she tucked her knees to her chest, hugging them.

"Finally," Anakin added with extra care, "You are only ten, Leia. You may not act like it, but you are still a child, and that's alright. It's not your job to keep the adults safe and happy, or to protect them from your feelings because they're having a hard time. It's ok to be scared and need someone to look after you every now and then. We all do some days."

"Like you did today?"

Leia's question was almost a challenge, but Anakin didn't let the guilt that flared with it overcome him. It took all of his self-control not to grab her into his arms and hold her tight as grief hit him like a wall along with the reminder that this child was in fact his and Padme's. A child Padme would never see.

"Yes. Just like I did today."

"There was darkness around you." Leia stated, eyeing him warily. "Kind of like how the air felt when the dark figure…Vader…I think that was him. He showed up in the village on Mapuzo."

"Was it the same? Did I feel exactly the same as him?" Anakin asked, not sure he could stomach the answer, but needing to know. He didn't blame Leia for being cautious of him, especially if she'd encountered him already.

"No. Not exactly." Leia frowned and her jaw shifted as she studied him with a slight squint. "There wasn't the same hatred, and there was no lack of compassion. But it was powerful, and dangerous…like the whole ship could have ripped apart if you lost control too badly."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Anakin offered contritely.

"It's ok. You were upset and hurting. I'm sorry for kicking you." Leia said in return, holding her head high with all the regality of a queen.

"That's alright. I deserved it." Anakin tried not to smile. He paused before asking, "What happened on Mapuzo?"

Obi-Wan had been vague in his explanation, but if he had faced Vader in just the past few days it explained a lot about why the man was so haunted.

Leia wrapped her arms around herself, picking at the white sleeves of her shirt. She hadn't had time to grab the little green coat from before.

"Ben got really scared. He wouldn't let me see what was happening. I had to wait in the safe room, but I could tell something terrible was happening. People were screaming. I think some of them died." Leia shivered again and chewed on her lip. "Then Ben said he'd lead him away, and told Tala to get me out. He promised to be right behind me…but I knew he didn't believe it."

Anakin couldn't take the way she was shivering anymore, so he unfolded a blanket and handed it to her wordlessly, his brow crinkling with a pained smile when she took it warily from him.

"Then what?" Anakin prompted before adding hastily, "And you don't have to tell me, if you don't want to, Leia. I'm sure it wasn't a pleasant day to remember."

Scrunching up her nose, Leia gave a grim half snort. "No. It wasn't pleasant. I convinced Tala to go back for Ben. I told her I could make it the rest of the way in the tunnel to the pilot myself."

"She let you go ALONE!" Anakin's voice came out louder than he meant it to as he stared incredulously at his daughter.

"It's not her fault! I can be very persuasive and I KNEW Ben needed help. I had a horrible feeling…something really BAD was happening! He needed her help-" Leia's breath came in angry little huffs as she defended her friend. "So don't go blaming Tala-"

"Alright! Ok. I'm not blaming her…I was just surprised." Anakin held up his hands in surrender and Leia settled back into her prior posture.

"After that, I got to the end of the tunnel where the pilot was supposed to be waiting…but he was dead." Leia's voice trembled a little and Anakin had to restrain himself from reaching for her. Instead he settled for sending a wave of comfort through the bond, hoping it was subtle enough not to spook her. "The inquisitor lady killed him, then she took me. She told me Ben was dead and that no one was coming for me."

"She was wrong." Anakin reminded her gently, watching Leia's face with a stabbing pain in his stomach as he caught glimpses of that day through the bond. "Ben was coming. He would never have abandoned you…and he's not very good at staying dead."

Unexpectedly, Leia smiled a little before tilting her head and studying him seriously.

"Yes. He did come. He got you out too. So maybe…maybe my getting caught wasn't such a bad thing? Maybe it was supposed to happen."

Anakin's blood ran a little cold. "Leia, please do not misunderstand me when I say this, because I am beyond grateful to be free of that place, but I would have stayed there the rest of my days if it meant sparing you that experience."

Startled, Leia's big brown eyes widened at the conviction in his voice. Confusion rippled around her, followed by an overwhelming wave of guilt.

"Too many people have suffered because of me." She whispered, shaking her head as she looked down into her hands.

Anakin felt her thread of light reaching out to him instinctively for comfort, twining around his own with a thin, almost undetectable branch. The only reason he noticed was because he was looking for it, and Leia didn't seem to know she had done it at all. He grasped it, pouring as much comfort as he could through to her whilst catching stronger glimpses of what was going through her head as she unconsciously projected to him. She struggled to escape the crushing weight on her heart.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's true. So many people are dead, and it's my fault!" Leia's voice climbed again, this time the tears came quickly, fresh and raw with the verbal admittance of guilt. "I-if I hadn't run away, if I had just apologized to my cousin like I was supposed to, if I had just LISTENED! The palace guard who tried to save me from the kidnappers would be alive, and those bounty hunters who came after Ben and I would still be alive, a-and the stormtroopers wouldn't be dead…because what if they were like Tala? What if they were going to make the right choices soon and now that's been taken from them and it's all because I ran away and-and-the people in the village, and the pilot, and Wade…he didn't even know me and he died rescuing us all…and no one would have been there if I hadn't-"

"Leia!" Anakin's voice nearly broke with compassion for the little girl next to him. "Leia...no. It wasn't your fault. None of this is your fault!"

"I didn't mean for people to get hurt!" Leia cried, looking up at him with all the smallness of a child her age and sudden abandon of all suspicion. "I just want to go home!"

Again, Anakin had to resist wrapping her into his arms. Instead he held out his hand to her and was relieved when she took it tightly with her own tiny fingers, clinging like it was a lifeline.

"I know." He let his thumb run along the back of the little hand just like Obi-Wan had earlier, hoping it would help. The thought that 'home' for her was with someone other than him felt like a saber to the throat, but still, he would give anything to ease her pain. If it meant returning her to the Organa's, as much as he hated the thought of losing her, he would do it. It wasn't about him and he couldn't keep this child from the only parents she knew. He couldn't take her like he was take from his own mother and so with conviction he added, "You'll be home again soon. I promise."

"Everyone keeps promising me that, but then things go wrong and I think maybe I never will be." Leia confessed, staring down at her hand in his.

"Did Ben promise you?" Anakin asked, his voice automatically taking on an old, almost forgotten air of confidence.

Leia nearly rolled her eyes and gave him a look. "Yes."

"Then I would believe him. He may have a round about way of getting things done, Leia, but he follows through with his promises."

"But he already nearly died." Leia countered, glancing at the ship they were attached to. "And now he's caught by pirates!"

"Yes, that's true, but you still have two of the most stubborn Jedi in the galaxy promising to get you home, Leia. I think the odds, no matter how bleak it might seem, are in your favor." Anakin faltered suddenly as a thought occurred to him and he added with all sincerity. "If you want me to, I'll start taking you home right now-"

"NO!" Leia shot up with alarm. "No. Not till Ben and the others are safe."

"Alright. Rescuing Ben it is."

A small sigh escaped Leia's lips as she leaned back against the wall, her fingers still wrapped around half his hand.

Anakin closed his eyes again, letting his hand stay relaxed and still in hers as he tried to settle into a light healing trace.

"Are you tricking me into trusting you?" Leia asked suddenly, suspicious coloring her words.

Drawing a calming breath, because by now he was truly in desperate need of rest, Anakin turned to look down at her once more.

"Why do you think that?" He asked patiently.

"Because I didn't trust you when we came in here…"

"And now?"

"I don't know. I think I might…you seem like a good person, but…you're dangerous. And you're hiding things from me, just like Ben. How do I know you aren't tricking me? How do I know you aren't using the Force to make me trust you?"

Anakin raised his brow, "Leia, I don't think anyone could trick you into anything. You're too perceptive for that."

"Thank you," Leia looked almost pleased, but her eyes narrowed a little, "But how do I know you aren't just flattering me now to throw me off?"

A barking laugh escaped Anakin's lips and he shook his head, "You really have been raised by politicians, haven't you."

"Did you know my father too?" Leia asked, frowning at their hands, because despite her suspicion, Anakin could sense she didn't really want to let go yet. If anything her light branched out more to wrap around his more, drinking in the peace and comfort he had for her.

"I knew Bail Organa. Yes." Anakin answered carefully. "He's a good and wise man. I'm sure he's very proud of you. Now…if you don't mind, I'm not as healthy as I once was and need to rest. You should probably get some rest too. And eat, Leia. You'll feel better."

"I'm not tired and I'm not hungry." Leia insisted. "And I think you're avoiding questions."

"Suit yourself." Anakin replied, his head settling back against the wall as he closed his eyes. "I'm going to get some rest. Wake me if there's trouble or you need anything."

"What are we even waiting for?" Leia growled impatiently.

Anakin remained silent, drawing on the Light and wrapping it around himself in a cloud of healing. It was a powerful contrast to the weak healing he managed all these years. His body sighed as though being dipped in a warm tank of bacta.

"Anakin!" Leia tugged at his hand and he could feel her glaring at him. "Don't ignore me."

"I'm not ignoring you. I'm just not answering you." Anakin murmured, eyes still closed. "There's a difference. And I will keep not answering until you eat."