Darth Vader sat in the cockpit, his cape still around Leia's shoulders. As the spaceship was fleeting amongst the stars, the pilot was not even aware of it. Instead, his focus was on something else. You see, there was a problem with the sith lord's plan of going to Naboo.
First of all, it was a matter of what he would say to his master. He guessed that the old sith lord wouldn't believe his excuse of going on a vacation to Naboo - the home planet of his wife. No, he needed something better.
An actual event.
He racked his mind for information. Then he remembered what he had heard a few days ago. About a party that the queen of Naboo was hosting in a couple of days.
The perfect cover-up.
Then suddenly, he heard a beeping sound. An incoming message from the Executor.
He quickly pressed a button and a blue holographic image appeared.
There the Emperor was. Vader froze in his spot. He didn't expect the Emperor to contact him. Even less from his ship.
"What is thy bidding my master?", Vader asked.
"You have not contacted me about your mission to Alderaan. Thus, I took the liberty to come to you myself. But as it turns out, you are not here", the Emperor said with a smile on his face. "Tell me, apprentice, what was the outcome of your mission to Alderaan?"
Vader then realized that he had not pressed Bail Organa for information regarding the whereabouts of the rebels like he was supposed to.
"I regret to inform you that I've failed to find out of the location of the rebel base like you asked me to. ", Vader said with his head bowed.
"Then what was the point of your mission?!", the Emperor suddenly shouted making the dark lord flinch.
"However, I did find out something else, my master.", Vader said.
"What?", the Emperor said, his voice had suddenly gone quiet.
"I searched through Bail Organa's mind and found out that he is a central figure of the rebellion.", Vader continued. "And if we wish to know the rebel's location we could simply take him hostage and demand that they give us the location of the rebel base in return. "
"You surprise me apprentice.", Sidious said with curiosity and approvement his voice. "I would have never thought you as someone who would resort to such non-violent methods of ascertaining information."
Vader released the breath that he had been holding. To his advantage, his master seemed to believe his story. But now he had to come up with the second part of his fabricated story.
"And I've also received information that Bail Organa is planning to visit Naboo in a couple of days. In correlation with the event that the Queen of Naboo is hosting.", he said.
"So, you wish to take him hostage there. During a public event. Do you completely disregard the risks you may face if you kidnap a public figure in the middle of a party?", the Emperor said his eyes gleaming with malice and Vader knew he meant the risks he would face. After all, the Emperor wanted to look good in the public eye.
"No, but after my little visit, I'm sure he will go into hiding.", Vader said and clenched his fist. He should have killed Organa when he had the chance. "So this may be our only opportunity of catching him."
"Very well. You may go to this event.", the Emperor said and Vader thought that he almost looked disappointed that he didn't get to punish his apprentice today.
Then, he turned off the holo-projector and went towards the passenger area of the ship.
There sat his 5-year-old daughter, quiet as a mouse, with her head turned down.
"Leia.", he approached her cautiously.
"Yes". It was almost too quiet to hear.
"I know you miss your adoptive father...", he began and she looked up at him with beady eyes. "So I've arranged for you to meet with him soon."
"But if you want to meet him you have to do something first."
"You have to stay really quiet and be very still when I'm gone. No one can know you're here. ", he said with worry in his voice but through his vocal modifier, the words came out harshly.
"Okay.", she squeaked.
Then he turned and went back to the cockpit. This time he pressed in another set of coordinates, pushed some buttons and pulled a lever. The light from the stars fleeting together into long lines as he went into hyperspace.
As he came out of hyperspace he steered his ship into a docking pad at the side of the big ship in front of him.
When he landed, he got out of his seat and went towards Leia who had crept up on her seat.
"Come here", he said as he took of a floorboard and gently helped Leia down into the hole. Then he carefully placed the board where it had been and rose up.
He took his cape that was still laying on Leia's seat and fastened it to his suit. He would not want to explain why he would have taken off his cape to anyone.
Then, the hatch opened up and he walked out of it with his cape swaying behind him.
When he came down the ramp he was met by rows of stormtroopers and officers who were saluting. None of them was moving an inch and they kept their gaze forwards.
He ignored them and walked forwards. At the end of the line, he was met with the person he had been dreading to meet.
The Emperor, stood there, with his hunched back and wrinkly white skin. Looking every bit the serpent that he was with those yellow eyes.
"I was beginning to think that you weren't coming Lord Vader", he said.
"I am here, my master", Vader said bowing slightly, not meeting his gaze. His focus was now on shielding his thoughts. He could not let Leia's existence be discovered by the Emperor.
He was beginning to think that the Emperor wouldn't search through his mind until he felt a subtle prodding at his mental walls. But lucky for him, he had learned from the best and he had gotten a lot of practice at keeping the Emperor out of his head throughout the years.
"I see that you are hiding your thoughts from me apprentice", he said with the sides of his mouth turned up.
"No matter. The truth shall be revealed soon enough", he continued.
It made a cold shiver go through Vader's body.
He thought about Leia, still under the floorboards of the shuttle. He would not let his own child fall into the hands of his master.
"And this time you better succeed with find out the location of the rebel base, Lord Vader.", Sidious said finally and went to his own shuttle.
Vader let out a sigh he had been holding and walked through the lines of his men. Although, he suspected that if given the chance some of them would betray him to the Emperor.
So he walked to the bridge. The men who were there acknowledged his presence by standing up and saluting but he waved them off and they went back to their work.
He had to figure out what to do with Leia. Was there anyone he could trust?
Right then, Admiral Ozzel came up to him.
"Lord Vader. I have come to inform you that everything has been in order during your absence.", the Admiral said with a hint of smugness in his voice that Vader despised.
He felt the rage simmering inside him, mixing in with the fear he felt over Leia and almost wanted to choke the Admiral there and then. But he restrained himself. There were more important things to do.
"Good, Admiral.", Vader said. "And I need new quarters to be built, that are larger than the ones I already have."
"I shall see to it", Admiral Ozzel answered a bit late and Vader could feel his curiosity and surprise at the strange request.
Then the admiral walked away and Vader was left alone with his thoughts. What if someone's found Leia already and assumed that she got onto his ship without him knowing? Maybe they had hurt her...
And how was he even going to get her to his quarters? It was no easy task to smuggle her into his quarters unnoticed. But Vader was determined.
He went back to the hangar. His steps were slow. The thoughts were swirling around in his heads. How do you expect to raise a child on this ship unnoticed? She was safer with Organa. But he ignored those thoughts. Leia was his child, not Organa's. He would give Leia whatever she wanted. Unlike that rebel scum Organa.
But he did have a promise to keep.
When he arrived at the hangar bay, he saw multiple troops of stormtroopers going around. He then realized that it would be impossible to sneak on the ship without anyone seeing. But he hoped that his role as the second most powerful person in the Empire would stop anyone from questioning his actions.
He went into the ship with confident strides. Then he took away the floorboard. He froze as he saw the state that Leia was in. Leia shook visibly and looked up at him with fear in her eyes.
He lifted her up with his hands under her armpits. Then he took her and wrapped her in his cape. Now he just had to get her into his quarters.
He hid her behind his cloak on the way down the ramp. He looked at the stormtroopers walking in straight lines. The hangar bay was very big and big boxes were littered next to the opposite wall. An idea sprung up in his mind.
He stopped at the end of the ramp, with Leia half-hidden behind his cape. He reached out to the Force, which came easily to him, and focused on those cargo boxes. The started to float in the air and then they dropped on the hard floor, some of them breaking and the contents leaked out.
Almost every stormtrooper in the area went to fix the mess that had been created. And in the middle of it, Vader could swiftly walk across the hangar bay without notice with Leia.
Then, it was easier to get to his quarters as he could feel when any stormtrooper was close. And he could simply use the force on them to make them forget what they saw.
Finally, they arrived at his quarters and Leia sat down on the polished floor. In his quarters, most of the furniture was black and the surfaces were reflective. In a way, they resembled the surface of his helmet. But there were no pictures, just the most necessary furniture like a desk, a lamp and a chair.
Leia then let out a big yawn. Vader then realized that it was really late.
"Let's get you to bed, little one", he said and gently picked her up. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. The bed had never been used but stood there nonetheless.
He tucked her in and she let out another yawn and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Leia", Vader said and stroked his gloved fingers against her forehead, but she had already fallen asleep.