This chapter is un-betaed.
Another chapter on time for my lovely readers. Two reviewers raised some issues that I'd like to clear up. One reviewer stated that Anakin and his mother weren't born on Tatooine. Unfortunately neither Shmi or Anakin have a birth planet listed, so taking creative license, Shmi's family was from Tatooine.
The other reviewer asked about the timeline because they were confused by me mentioning an Inquisitor. Looking back, I can see how that caused confusion. Time wise this story begins ten years after ROTS and Star Wars: Rebels is still five years away. I'm sure that before Rebels, there were Inquisitors running around the galaxy and one may have happened to meet an unfortunate demise.
Star Wars belongs to Disney.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
"Leia right?"
The question caught Leia unaware and she whirled around, watching as Caden lifted his blaster preemptively. Aurora, the stranger, stood there, the hood still obscuring most of her face.
"What are you doing here?" Caden growled and Leia could feel her hairs raising at his threatening tone.
To Leia surprise Arora remained unfazed, "I was never here, you have something important to do."
A strange feeling rushed past Leia, it lingered on the edge of her conscious and she could feel the way it moved nearly alive. Somehow it was familiar… it was different, but inherently the same. The knowledge of what it was lurked in her mind, just out of reach. There also was the urge to trust her, a feeling telling her that Aurora meant no harm, that she was family… almost.
"You were nev-" Caden stopped speaking abruptly and aimed the blaster ay Aurora, "What the kriff was that! You're not getting to Leia."
Leia's eyes widened as she recognized the feeling… the Force!
A slight hand wave appeared this time, "Leia is safe with me. You have to make some reports and check on security. I was never here."
"I have some reports to file and review security. Leia will be fine."
Leia backed away fearfully as Caden began to partially parrot and another strong feeling rushed past her.
"I was never here."
"You were never here," Caden replied and he marched outside.
Leia watched the door close behind Caden and all of a sudden she was running, running to the door, away from the imminent danger. A scream was lodged in her throat as she tried to reach the door. Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her back.
"Shh… it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
She shoved herself out of the hold and backed against the wall, her heart hammering. No longer was she at her home, she was in Vader's palace and the Jedi was there. Tim was also there and they had stopped running. The Jedi was there and he was shouting. He was shouting and spit was flying. A blue lightsaber was being waved in her face and she was so frightened. The energy was pooling up inside of her, demanding to be released, but Vader was nearby and she was going to die.
Somehow she was able to step back into the present, to remember that she was home, on Alderaan. Aurora was still standing near her, not crossing an invisible line. The hood had been lowered and Leia could now see who the person was. She could see the strange blue stripes and the orange skin and how hidden muscles moved with the agility of a predator.
"Who are you?" she whispered, "What do you want?"
Aurora (if that even was her name), didn't move, nor did she turn away, "I'm not going to hurt you young one. I'm a Jedi."
Leia remembered her father's stories, the tales of the Jedi, their greatness, but she also remembered the man with yellow eyes, the one who had claimed to be a Jedi, the one who had wanted to kill. Maybe Aurora didn't mean harm, but there was nothing to say she didn't. The only reason she even considered the idea of trusting Aurora because there was the strange feeling of family, the Force that was whispering to her. But Caden had walked out of the door, doing something that he'd never usually doing,.. Leia no longer could say that her feeling were her feelings.
"You're a liar."
Recoiling, "I do not mean to lie. I just want people to be safe."
"So you're going to kill me," and with those words Leia prepared herself to die, with a fight.
Confusion filled Aurora's face and she shook her head, "I don't kill people. Jedi don't kill… unless there are no other options."
"The greater good," she sneered, there was no such thing.
Aurora grabbed a small cylinder out of fold in the clothes, hidden from prying eyes flawlessly. Leia's eyes widened as she saw the object and her stomach clenched. The object was a lightsaber. It hurt to know that Caden would be blamed for her death when he had been taken advantage of. It hurt to know that she'd never see her parents again. Surprisingly it hurt to think about never seeing Lord Vader again. The scary thing about death was the lack of the knowledge and the knowledge that it was the end.
The lightsaber clattered against the floor and she watched detachedly as it rolled up to her. Keeping her eyes on Aurora she picked it up and examined the thing. A small push of the button caused the blade to extend, crystal white. Leia looked back to Aurora and the small smile on her lips.
"I'm not going to hurt you Leia, I don't want to hurt you. I just wanted to talk to you."
"Why?"
"You can use the Force… and you know how to shield yourself. You weren't expecting me, so I caught the barest flickers and just now, your fear confirmed my suspicions."
If a random Jedi could discover her, the Emperor could also, "What do you want?"
"I'm curious to know who taught you how to shield yourself. As a favor to someone I once knew, I'd like to help you. I want to give you the chance, the choice to be safe. You could leave and it'd be ruled a kidnapping, nobody would get hurt."
The offer was so tempting, "Vader would find us."
The voice was soft and calming, "Does he know?"
Fear shot through her as she uttered of the forbidden subject, "He taught me how to shield, so the Emperor wouldn't know."
"It's okay," Aurora whispered, "Did he hurt you?"
Shaking her head, "No, he protected me. He taught me how to control, so I'd be safe."
A hand settled on her shoulder and she was drawn into a hug, "Do you want to leave?"
"Yes," she replied, "no... " groaning, "I don't know. I just want everything to be normal."
"You don't have to make up your mind right now, what about I teach you so you can protect yourself. We can decide from there. "
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Bail closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He was in his office, a small room with an expensive wood desk and a roaring fireplace that kept him warm. Everything was so difficult lately. He had thought it to be so simple, to stop fighting the Empire and ensure Leia's safety.
It wasn't.
The Rebellion, it definitely deserved to be named as an organization now, had sent Ahsoka to him, to try to convince him to lend his aid. The sight of her standing next to his daughter and the clone trooper had nearly given him a heart attack. Vader was already taking an interest in Leia, now his former apprentice was quite happy to join him in observing Leia. She, unlike Vader, also recognised her as Anakin's daughter. It surprised him that she did when Vader couldn't.
He picked up another holopad as he began to read through new proposals that were to be discussed for the next session after break. On another holopad, the one for official work communications, was a list of proposals that the Emperor wanted his support on. He frowned as he browsed through them, many of them feeling wrong for him. The ones that caught his attention were the seemingly inconsequential items. The increased fundings for an Imperial Academy on Lothal seemed something that the Emperor wouldn't have an opinion on, something he'd see the governor initiating. Perhaps it was to test his willingness to do as he was told.
The further down he scrolled, the more confused he was. Sure, there were the demands he expected, like shooting down proposals to initiate a more democratic approach, but the closing of certain hyperlanes… was strange.
His fingers reached for the datapad that Ahsoka had given him, something he instinctively wanted to destroy. Glancing around the room, he hoped to find the hidden recording devices, of course he saw none. He knew he was being watched, he could feel the ghostly eyes of Imperial Intelligence watching him wherever he went.
Pretending to be researching the various proposals, he peeked a glance down at the datapad. Ahsoka, apparently in hope of convincing him, had put together a list of Imperial atrocities, things that made his stomach reel. As he skipped to the end, to the most recent activities, he wanted to personally kill Vader. Outline in the cold words of statistics, of numbers without any personal meaning, he saw the latest uprising against the rebellion and how it was brutally ended. The worst part was he knew Leia had been with Vader at the time.
Willing himself to look away from the numbers, the civilian casualties and soldiers tortured for information, he scrolled through the other tidbits of information. Part of him wondered who Ahsoka's spy was, such information wasn't found lying around. His eyes narrowed as he read about the eradication of an entire slave force in Imperial Sector 11B-76, the same sector which was mentioned in a proposal to be removed from the control of the Regional Governor and to be handed to a Grand Moff. He kept scanning the text in search for more similarities, and the more he found, the more concerned he became.
He checked the bills again and using the Holonet, he began to research the seemingly innocent requests from the Emperor. Following old reports he discovered a trail of money, money leading into small projects, which happened to supposedly produce stuff. Unfortunately he couldn't track down the products, even after calling other friends of his.
The com buzzed, "Your highness, Tarkin's shuttle has arrived."
"Thanks for the update, tell him I'm ready to see him if he is."
He ended the connection and stood up, walking to the window. Something fishy was going on, but he couldn't turn to the Ahsoka, Leia's life was on the line. He refused to play with her life, she was his daughter. He looked back at his desk and found the datapad, knowing he had to destroy it. He picked it up and slipped it into his coat. Slowly walking over to the fireplace, he bent down as if he was warming his hands, and let the datapad drop.
The door of his office opened, and Tarkin strode in, "Hello Senator, I would say thank you for the invitation, but we both knew you sent it because it'd be rude not to, and I accepted only because it gave me an excuse to see Vader's little operation here. How's it going by the way, doesn't look like it's going well?"
Bail frowned and walked back to his desk, remaining standing, "Vader hopes to find some Rebels and already has. I wish, as much as he, to not have to worry about them ever again."
Tarking grabbed a chair and sat down, "Well, I asked the Emperor and he gave me permission to look into the situation in Vader's absence. Vader can sometimes… lack the refinement needed to get things done."
Bail slowly took a seat, raising his eyebrows, "In my, well rather limited experience, Vader seems to be perfectly capable getting the information he wants."
Scoffing, "And that's why he is babysitting your daughter?"
Taking a breath, he glared at the Moff, "The Emperor thought it would be a beneficial arrangement. Vader doesn't do most of the babysitting, a clone trooper does."
"How typical for a devotee of an ancient religion trusts his charge's safety to an obsolete piece of equipment. Speaking of your daughter, have you ever taught her about respect?"
Bail could feel the incoming headache as he looked at Tarkin and with a long suffered sigh he asked, "What has she done now?"
Tarkin leaned forward, "This isn't the first time you've had such a complaint? Yes? She does her best to insult me all the time. With a bit of training, that tongue could decimate people, right now she's being a brat."
"I'll talk to her," the again went unsaid.
"See that you do do. I'll be watching."
Tarkin prepared to stand up, but Bail looked down at his holopad with various Senate proposals, "Just a moment Tarkin, I may have found something worthy of your attention."
Haughtily, "What coud you've found worthy of my attention?"
"It seems the Empire has been losing supplies and equipment, some of the volatile nature," picking up his holopad, "The most noteworthy of these loses, are the kyber crystals. It's probably not necessary to mention that these crystals can be used to power weapons of unimaginable power. Supplies and money is routed through dummy corporation who then supposedly send their product elsewhere. Whoever set the system up was a genius, but I did some digging and these dummy companies simply feed each other. There's nothing being produced."
"Why are you so concerned?"
"Wouldn't you be? The kyber crystals can make some of the most lethal weapons and I suspect they aren't being sold on the black market. Besides the crystals, there are huge quantities of steel and various other metals disappearing. I doubt I've found them all, but from what I have discovered, there's enough to build something larger than a Star Destroyer, a tiny moon is my guess. The only criminal organization I can think of that could pull this off would be Black Sun!"
Tarkin didn't say anything, but Bail could see the fear in his face.
"I tremble to think of what could be done with such a weapon."
This time Tarkin spoke, "Excuse me, I must talk to the Emperor about this development."
Having excused himself, Tarkin walked out if the door, leaving Bail alone in his office, feeling as if his every move was being spied upon and he had just committed a grave mistake.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
The Emperor stared at the com and the light flashing to indicate it was high priority. The message was from Tarkin and that brought up the interesting question of what Tarkin could've found to be considered high priority on Alderaan hunting Rebels, when Vader couldn't. Suppressing a groan, he answered the com.
"Your highness, I've an urgent matter to speak with you about."
"I'd hope so Tarkin," he waited for Tarkin to continue, "Well spit it out. What's this most urgent matter you must speak to me of?"
"It concerns the Death Star you highness."
Palpatine sat up straighter at the mention of his pet weapon, "What about it?"
"Senator Organa managed to find our supplies. He believes that Black Sun is constructing a super weapon the size of a tiny moon."
"Impossible," he hissed his eyes flashing yellow, "That's impossible."
"No your highness, he told me himself of his suspicions."
"Find out who he has told and what else may know. Eliminate the ISB agents watching him. I'll call for Lord Vader."
"Your highness, how am I supposed to discover who he told?"
"Arrest him," he replied, the answer obvious.
"Right away your Majesty."
Palpatine swore softly, he had to prevent an uprising, "Legally arrest the Senator. He's popular enough that an unjust arrest will cause people to join the fledgeling Rebellion."
"Your highness, I doubt any Rebels will be able to organize themselves to such a degree. Also how am I to legally arrest the Senator, if he had done anything wrong we'd have arrested him already."
"Fool," he hissed, "The Rebels will become stronger when the populus becomes incentivized to join them. An Empire with no one in it, isn't an Empire. Make sure you do a good frame job on the Senator, he'll have to be publicly executed as a traitor."
"Of course your Majesty."
The Emperor closed his eyes for a second, "And Tarkin, the only ones you're authorized to kill are the ISB agents. The only one who you can announce that will be publicly executed is Organa. We need the Royal Family to keep order."
"Of course your Majesty, it'll be done."
Palpatine turned off the com and sent a message to Vader that they needed to talk as soon as possible. Through the Force he could feel the currents of change, things were veering off the path he had foreseen. Some of the differences would be small, others large, colossal even. It unnerved him that the currents were changing, that no longer he knew where the water would drag him under. Something had shifted and he didn't know what. Things were changing…
The com turned on as Vader responded, kneeling in the Hologram. Palpatine observed his apprentice for a minute, well aware that kneeling caused Vader great agony. It had been an intentional feature of the suit.
"Lord Vader, how goes your mission."
"Well my Master."
"A situation has arisen on Alderaan, " Palpatine paused as he noticed a strange emotion roll off his apprentice, "It seems our friend Senator Organa has nearly discovered the Death Star"
"I'll take care of him," Vader replied, eagerness oozing off of him.
"Tarkin is managing the situation, " he rolled his eyes in annoyance at the skepticism washing from Vader, "Yes Vader, he'll manage. I know you're eager, but the situation at your end has to be dealt with first."
Feeling the power pool in Vader he raised an eyebrow and watched worriedly as it was released, "It's done."
Warningly, "Vader, what did you do?"
His apprentice raised his head, "The traitor is dead. The situation is dealt with and I'm confident the regional governors can deal with the aftermath."
Now worry tinged his voice, "Exactly what did you do?"
"I've managed to narrow down the possible problem areas and possible traitors. I've dropped the ceiling on them. The fire will take care of any remaining survivors."
Sometimes the efficiency Vader displayed, seriously worried Palpatine, "You were supposed to be subtle."
"No one knows I was here. There was an unfortunate tragic accident, there were no survivors. Problem solved."
"Very well Vader, you may proceed to Alderaan, but be aware that such behavior isn't tolerated despite your admirable desire to destroy the Rebels and a certain Senator."
"I'm yours to command Master."
"Yes, yes," he snapped back, "That's why I'm the Master and you do my bidding. Be aware though Vader, should any connection to your previous life exist-"
Interrupting, "There's none Master. Skywalker is dead."
"I'd hope so Vader, for your sake," continuing, "you should be aware that there is a party that Organa is hosting, so please don't cause a diplomatic outcry. Also, I believe the Nabberries are in attendance."
"Why should I be concerned?"
"Because you still show an idiotic amount of devotion to your departed wife."
"I'll strive to do better Master."
Getting a rise out of his apprentice was in certain cases impossible. Recently he felt his apprentice slipping, falling away from his teachings and control. Soon he'd need new methods of control.
"Go to Alderaan Vader."
The com turned off leaving Palpatine to ponder the possible betrayal from his apprentice and the strange shifts in the Force.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Two Stormtroopers marched into his office. Behind them, Bail could see more waiting Stormtroopers.
Calmly, he asked "What is the problem gentlemen?"
A trooper moved behind him and grabbed his wrists, causing Bail to look at the other trooper confused, "What's the meaning of this?"
The cuffs clicked around his wrists tightly causing him to wince slightly. Walking through the doors, Tarkin revealed himself, a cruel smirk on his face. Bail's eyes widened and he hoped Ahsoka was far away.
Tarkin strode up to him and picked up his datapad, "You're under arrest Senator Organa. You've been found guilty of treason."
Desperately Bail tried to move, to protest the verdict, "What have I done? I've not broken any Imperial laws!"
Tarkin motioned two stormtroopers to begin searching his desk, "We have evidence that you've been supplying weapons to a criminal organizations. Furthermore you're guilty of killing Moff Lewis and hindering an Imperial investigation."
Bail had been expecting something along the lines of plotting treason and being in contact with Rebels, but the charges, "What? I haven't done anything like that!"
Tarkin walked up to him, staring directly into his eyes, "I'm sure that as we begin our investigation more of your illicit dealings will be revealed," he turned to the stormtrooper, "Are the binders secure?"
The stormtrooper tightened the binders again, causing Bail to shout out in pain, "He's secure sir."
"Good," Tarkin replied before turning back to Bail, "Having been found guilty-"
"What about my trial?" he cried out frantically.
The stormtrooper cuffed him on the head and Tarkin continued, "Having been found guilty of treason and therefore a traitor, you've given up your citizenship. From this moment on, you're no longer part of the Empire and as such, no longer a recipient to your rights. The only right you have is your execution which must occur within the next five years. Anything you wish to say traitor?"
Tears began to form in his eyes as he thought if what would happen, "This is a misunderstanding. You've got to believe me, I'm innocent. I'll do-"
In a bored voice, "Take him to a maximum security cell."
Bail kept his head down as the stormtroopers marched him along the hall, past the gaping servants. As the blasters slammed into his back and when he stumbled, he didn't say anything. He was a dead man walking to his funeral. The funny thing was he had always imagined being killed by Vader's hands, for his arrest to be made by Vader. Apparently he had a self inflated ego.
The two stormtroopers shoved him into a cell and he skidded onto the floor. Groaning he tried to sit up and lean against the wall, when the door opened again to reveal the two stormtroopers. Together they carried a bucket of water, which was quickly dumped on top of him. He shivered and the lights were brightened. He knew that his most miserable days were about to begin.
It may have been a few hours, or maybe a day, Bail couldn't know, when Tarkin stepped into the cell and ordered the stormtroopers to drag him into the interrogation room.
In the cold room, forever changed since Vader's arrival, Bail sat down in the chair. The walls were once welcoming and invited an air of trust, the people of Alderaan didn't believe in violence and the room had reflected that. Since the Empire's visit, the walls had become white and everything was cold. The table and chair itself was made of metal, some of the most uncomfortable metal he had ever met. Around the room, Bail could see various storage cabinets and equipment. Everything that would ever be needed was contained in the small room.
Tarkin took a seat in front of him and studied him. The cold eyes never leaving his shivering corpse. When Tarkin moved, it was to bring a cup of Caf to his mouth. Bail watched jealously.
At last Tarkin brought out a datapad and leaned forward, "You know Organa, well I guess it's Prisoner 381 now, you've caused us a lot of trouble. It's quite true that you haven't, to our knowledge, committed any of the crimes you've been accused of."
Weakly, "What?"
Tatkin shook his head ruefully, "Your investigation into Senate proposals caused your demise. You've accidentally trodden too near a top secret project, and since I'm the only person you'll ever see before your execution again, I can tell you all of this."
Bail absently noticed there was no one inside of the white coffin. He wondered how Leia was and hoped for her safety. He didn't trust Tarkin and hoped that the man wouldn't try to use Leia or Breha.
Tarkin continued, "You see, I'm in charge of a little project. It is called the Death Star and the people who know of it would fit inside this room… well if we excluded Vader. The Death Star, when complete, will be a battle station the size of a small moon and with enough firepower to destroy an entire planet."
"That's," he shook his head in horror, "a monstrosity. You can't just destroy planets!"
"Well, we will. You won't have to worry about it though, you won't be alive at that point. What we need to know is who you've told of your discoveries or who else may also find find themselves discovering such information. "
He shook his head, "No one, I just discovered it the day you arrived."
Tarkin looked disappointed at the answer, "What about your wife?"
He shook his head.
"Your daughter?"
"No, never."
Tarkin played a holovid off him and Ahsoka walking through the gardens, "What about this… Aurora."
"No, I didn't say anything."
Tarkin pressed on, "What does she know?"
"Nothing, nothing!" he cried, it was too much.
Tarkin stood up and began to pace behind him, outside of visibility range, "Funny thing is I don't believe you."
"Nothing, nothing."
"You see we found a melted datapad in your fireplace, our techs are working on recovering the information it contained. What about you tell me?"
"I found it and didn't want anything to do with it, I slipped it into the fireplace!"
Tarkin slammed his fist down on the table in front of him, "We know you have Rebel connections. We've found your old communications, you were at least a Rebel sympathiser. I think you were more and unless you want to be in a world of pain, you're going to tell me something!" Tarkin pointed at the hooded figure, "Who is she?"
He coughed weakly, "No one. Her name is Auror. She's an old friend."
"Should I bring in your daughter Prisoner? Will she make you talk?"
The door slid open behind him, stopping Tarkin. Bail looked up at Tarkin and saw how he seemed to be gazing at someone.
"Hello Inquisitor, what are you doing here?"
The cold voice washed over Bail, making him shiver even more, "ISB found a mention of General Skywalker. I'm an Inquisitor, I hunt down the Jedi. Any mention of them will cause us to search for the source."
"You're going to have to wait, Prisoner 381 is being stubborn. My orders are from the Emperor, you can have him after I have the necessary info."
"Very well," the cold voice replied, "I'll be back."
Tarkin sat back in the chair, "Should I call for your daughter?"
"No, I'll talk."
Tarkin leaned forward, "What was on the datapad?"
"Aurora was sent to recruit me and slipped me the datapad when I refused, it detailed the conquests of the Empire."
"You can be reasonable," Tarkin pulled out a water flask and a cup, "Thirsty?"
Bail nodded and eagerly watched as Tarkin poured the water in and handed him the cup. Bail thankfully drank the water, letting it replenish his dwindling energy. He looked back to Tarkin and was struck by a wave of dizziness. Too late, he recognized the water as drugged.
"Who is Aurora?"
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Ahsoka watched Leia nod and she prepared herself to probe Leia's mind. Each time that she tried, it became harder, Leia seemed to have a natural affinity for shielding her mind. Slowly she moved against the child's mind, scanning the solid walls and gently pushing on them. The walls remained strong and resilient.
Ahsoka pushed against the firm walls, trying to break in. They wavered slightly, but held firm. She pushed again and the walls fell down rapidly, drawing her into the deep recesses of Leia's mind. There was one problem, there were more walls. She smiled and gently pushed outwards and the walls gave away, letting her leave.
Impressed, "Good job Leia. That was a nice trap you had there, but I'd be careful."
"A strong opponent can just batter down my walls, I know, I know."
She smiled and walked over to Leia, "Well I think you'd stand a chance against the Inquisitors."
"The who?"
"They," she began, "are a group of Force-sensitives trained by Vader to hunt Jedi. They know the basics of mental manipulation and are well versed in the art of interrogation. They're not a threat to any skilled Jedi, but are quite capable of tracking them down and pointing Vader in the right direction."
"How come Lord Vader doesn't know about you? How come he hasn't found you?"
She smiled grimly, imagining the machine bearing down on her, "I left the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars, I have the training of a Jedi, but there isn't any records of me since then. I assume the Empire believes me to be dead. If you come with me me I can teach you how to be a Jedi and we can start a new order."
The suspicion reappeared on Leia's face, "Why am I so special for you to want to help me? I'm not powerful or anything."
Something tore at her heart as she listened to Leia. The Princess didn't seem to trust anyone. She quelled the rising anger directed at Vader as she wondered what he had done to paint the Jedi in such villainous light.
"My Master-"
"You're a slave," Leia cried out in horror, "You said you were a Jedi…"
The look of disgust and hatred at the mention of slavery caused her to do a double take. No longer stood a young princess in front of her, instead Anakin stood there in all of his glory. She could feel something hitching in her throat as she was reminded of Anakin. She missed her former Master terribly, she missed his smiles and his teasing, the fondness in his eyes, the missions they went on together. Part of her refused to believe that Anakin was dead, even when his daughter stood before her. Anakin would've never left his child.
"The Jedi use the term Master for their teacher, it's a term of respect… and for many Padawans," Ahsoka paused to look at Leia's confused face, "Padawan is the name given to students, many of us considered the term Master as a term of endearment. My Master was a great man, he always helped people and he taught me so much. You remind me of him. I guess I'm selfish, but I feel as if you're the last part of him to exist and I want to honor his memory. He'd have kept you safe too."
Ahsoka looked at Leia and her thoughtful expression. Right now she just wanted to take care of her, to take her away, to keep her away from Vader. She wouldn't force Leia to do join her though, but she wanted to stay, to protect the child of her Master.
"What's your real name?"
She smiled, "My name is-"
Leia cut her off, shaking her head, "Don't tell me. I know you said I could keep an Inquisitor out of my mind, but Lord Vader could find out easily. Sometimes I feel that he's in my head, that he belongs there. "
Her spare lightsaber sprung to her hand as she heard the door slide open. Begin it stood Caden, his blaster raised. Surprisingly she felt no fear from Leia, just relief. The clone trooper also betrayed no fear, just worry. The blaster remained pointed at her.
"I don't know who you are," Caden began, "but I suggest you release Princess Leia. Lord Vader is coming and he'll take care of you Jedi."
"Why do you think I'm a Jedi?"
The clone trooper scoffed, "Imagine my surprise when Tarkin calls me to bring the Princess and I can't remember why she isn't there with me. Should you try to do whatever you did again, I'll shoot you mind rapist."
She stood still, trying to process the clone's angry behavior and how he had been able to break free from her mental hold on him, "Leia can do whatever ever she wants. If she wants to go with you, she can. If she wants to go with me, you'll never find us."
Next to her Leia shifted as the clone growled back, "The Inquisitor will take care of you easily. If you go on your own, maybe you have a chance to escape Lord Vader's wrath."
Things were starting to become increasingly complicated, "I can deal with the Inquisitor, but I know what goons like Tarkin are capable of, I don't think it'd be wise for Leia to be surrendered to his clutches."
The clone had a rather surprising answer, "That's why I told him no. He only wants her because Organa has been arrested for treason and he's probably not talking."
"No Daddy!" Leia turned to Ahsoka, her face angry, "This is all your fault. If you hadn't come Daddy would still be fine!"
Ahsoka ignored the blaster and knelt down next to Leia, "Believe me I didn't want this to happen, this wasn't my intention."
Once again the clone trooper surprised her, "It wasn't the Jedi's fault. The formal charges are for the murder of Moff Lewis and the selling of weapons. "
"What," Leia cried out, "Lord Vader killed Lewis and Daddy hates weapons."
Ahsoka looked at the clone, "Why's the Senator being framed? It seems like a bit too much work for the Empire."
"I wouldn't know, it's not within my jurisdiction," something buzzed and the clone looked up, a sense of victory emanating from him, "Time's up. Vader is arriving."
The Force confirmed the words and an avalanche of darkness descending upon her causing her to gasp in pain. As she bent over at the oppressive weight, she noticed how Leia almost seemed to be relieved. With great effort Ahsoka straightened and ignit her lightsaber, holding it out in front of her.
"Leia," she whispered, "You have to decide now."
The Princess looked at the clone, visibly struggling with the decision, "I'm sorry."
"Leia," he said warningly, "What are you doing?"
Ahsoka waited and tried to ignore the tingling through the Force. The old bond she had with her Master was acting up again, unknown feelings washing through. The only feeling she could identify was the desire to protect, to insure the safety of someone.
"Go," Leia cried turning to her, "Go and don't come back. I need to help my Dad."
Ashoka eyed the young girl and nodded, "Perhaps we will meet again."
Ashoka didn't wait for a reply and shot forward, the lightsaber easily defecting the clone's blaster bolt. Using the Force she called for her other lightsaber and then she ran.
She ran past the stormtroopers, easily deflecting their shots.
Pain…
She ran towards the landing bay, her pounding feet echoing through the halls. She could feel the dark presence closing in, its power infinitely greater than any other darksider she had met. Vader, like Dooku, was a Sith Lord. Her lightsaber swung to deflect more stray shots.
Leia… protect… Jedi…
She rounded a corner and ran into reinforcements. There was no time to hesitate, no time for fear or second thoughts. The Force push scattered the troops and those who dared to approach her were felled by her lightsaber. She had to hurry.
Jedi… kill… destroy… danger…
Rounding the last corner, a warning from the Force caused her to duck as a lightsaber whirled through the air. The landing bay, a ten second sprint away, was blocked by the Sith Lord.
Jedi… familiar… who… Leia…
Ashoka brought her lightsabers up and charged. Her only chance for survival was to reach a ship, she didn't kid herself that she had a chance.
Ashoka…
She threw herself to the side and charged, barely avoiding the Force-blast. Her lightsabers raised she swung forward, hoping to slip past. The red blade easily intercepted the swing and as she switched into a reversed grip in hope of surprising her opponent, he caught it with ease.
Padawan… growing… Ahsoka Tano…
She shivered as she felt her name echo darkly across the bond. He was a monster…
"Do you know who I am?" Vader rumbled as he slammed her into a wall.
Groaning, "A Sith Lord. You'll not kill me, like you did my Master."
One of her lightsabers flew out of her hand and the black claw gripped her throat, "Do you know what happened to your Master?"
Clawing at the hand, "He's dead, you probably killed him. Did you enjoy it?"
All of a sudden the hand released her and she slid down, "I did not kill your Master…"
Ahsoka nodded as she leaned against the wall to stand up again. The Sith Lord's Force-presence pressed down on her, threatening her meager grasp on consciousness. It felt so familiar, just darker than imaginable.
Ahsoka my Padawan…
Vader felt so much like Anakin that it hurt. She called in the Force and pushed him away.
Snarling at him, "Stop it! Stop pretending to be like him, you're a monster nothing else."
"Tell me why did you leave, why?"
The dark presence was nearly suffocating, bearing down on her and compressing her lungs. Oxygen wasn't entering her bloodstream. Her vision darkened slightly and she swayed, but her remaining lightsaber remained in her hand. She saw the hanger bay and ran as fast as she could.
No… mine… mine… join me child…
Something wrapped around her legs, stopping her sprint. She turned around to look at Vader, who was advancing steadily as if he was in no hurry. Ashoka's self-preservation instincts disagreed with the sentiment and were trying to find a way out. Her solution, one born of desperation, was to crash in the ceiling.
No escape, soon you'll join me…
The ceiling creaked and groaned. Cracks began to form, a spider web of weaknesses. Vader himself stopped and looked upwards, finally releasing his grip on her. He began to counter her efforts, but Ashoka was winning with the aid of gravity, slowly. As she made a last pull, her eyes wandered over to a small running figure.
"Leia no!"
The child looked up and began to run backwards, but she'd never make it to safety in time. Vader himself looked at Leia and then back at her. Should Vader want to, he could stop her easily, she was too close to him and distracted by the Princess. His helmet swiveled and turned to look at Leia again.
The ceiling came crashing down… on both of them.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Hope you enjoyed this epic chapter and sorry for the cliffhanger, there was nowhere where I could end this chapter without it being a cliffhanger. Go drop a review, they make me write faster.
Recommendations:
Talicor: Sand Castles
-A very bittersweet one-shot about Luke and Vader.
Malicean: Food Scandal
-Features Vader and OCs, but is expertly well done and I find it rather amusing.