Happy holidays. Here is an update! Yay!
Slightly important announcement for the rest of the AN: I know a lot of people seem to hate Tim. Remember that guy? As I'm editing the older chapters and fixing some grammar or phrasing issues, I will be running into Tim. I'm definitely considering rewriting his scenes or maybe, depending on you guys, removing him entirely. As my loyal readers who have invested their time in this story, reviewed, reread, and apparently foregone sleep to binge read, I feel that I should listen to your opinions.
Further explanation (skip to my weird line breaks if you don't care): Tim served, at the time, a very unique purpose. He was my first foray into trying to make a true OC. And yes, people complained my story "nose dived" with his introduction and how much they hoped he would die… I admit that he was a pretty terribly thought out character, but for me, his purpose was to test run adding a proper OC to the story. Considering all the negative reactions, it is amazing that I decided against never using OCs again. Tim gave me the confidence to push Caden into a main character. His failure let me create Syrena, who I added with the expectation that most people would hate her. Thankfully, that was not the case.
If I were writing a book to be published, many things would change as that is how editing works. Yet, I'm writing what is basically a serial (despite my binge readers. Get some sleep!) which means I do not have the luxury to go back and fix my mistakes. I can get away with typos, commas, and a couple wording issues. But as a reader, I get annoyed when the writer goes and makes major changes and rewrites all the previous chapters. Tim, who originally had a larger role, is currently a hindrance to the story and pulls it down. While it should be a rather straightforward decision, I'm an annoyingly honest person and believe in leaving my mistakes bared to the world. I found it always inspiring to watch an author's work transform from crap to something readable. Kudos to all those brave writers who leave their ten year old, first fanfic up. They tend to suck, but also provide a learning experience. Altering Tim would remove that potential learning experience for anyone else. But as I want my readers to enjoy the story, if you guys absolutely hate coming across him, I will fix him.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Lieutenant Prazak surveyed his class as he lectured on military tactics. To his right a hologram displayed the semester's extra credit problem. It would be interesting to see how his students approached the problem; he fully expected them to fail. The problem was a simplified version of the famous D'Ark simulation: a notoriously difficult and nearly impossible problem. Some of his students gazed at the problem hungrily and he could feel their determination. Other students simply took notes, not caring for extra credit or the challenge.
He swiped his hand through the air to continue on to the next slide as he began to break down the basic problems with warfare in space compared to planetside combat. His eyes swept across the students and stopped on Ms. Japor, who had the gall to stare off in space in his class. He couldn't remember the last time a student had dared to turn an assignment in late. No one had ever dared to not pay attention.
He pushed down his anger at the snub as he considered her for a moment. Leia Japor… a relatively new student and completely unremarkable in almost every aspect. He remembered her first day: the annoyed look in her eyes, a healing burn on her hands, and the faint trace of bacta on her arms. Clumsy… unmotivated… Dismissing her for yet another student wasting his time, he had let her sink into obscurity. The only noteworthy aspect was the glowing description he received from Gerald, the weapon instructor. It had been a strange contradiction in light of her apparent clumsiness.
Pausing his lecture, he focused on her and let his voice carry coldly across the class. "Leia Japor… perhaps your daydreams are more important than the tactical lesson at hand?"
Her head snapped upwards and she looked at them. Her eyebrows twitched and he could see the barest hint of guilt before it quickly vanished. As he strode to her desk, he saw her eyes beginning to glass over as her ruminations caught hold of her mind again. Internally, he frowned. His foot tapped the ground as he waited for her to turn her attention to him. Somewhere in the classroom, a snicker.
Ms. Japor finally craned her neck so she could look at him. "Well girl?"
He expected her to cower, to frantically apologize, to fear him as she rightly should… instead she replied calmly with an almost sarcastic undertone, "Of course not."
Grown men trembled when they saw his angry glare; a glare perfected throughout the years. This eleven year old girl… acted as if he was a random person asking about the weather. "Wrong answer girl."
Not willing to let her make a fool of him, he dragged her to the front of the class. "This isn't one of the most prestigious schools in the Mid Rim for nothing. So either tell the class about your captivating daydreams or," he pointed his hand as the projected hologram, "win this battle."
Humiliation worked wonders in controlling children. She swallowed briefly, yet hesitated. "If you lie, are wrong, or refuse, I will make sure you're expelled," he warned. It was a mostly empty threat. While he had plenty of sway with the administration, she hadn't actually committed an expellable offense. He watched in fascination as the fear that had been absent beforehand, flashed across her face before being concealed. Her face was eerily blank and the only hint of fear he could detect was in the tightness of her body. He had been wrong to dismiss her before… she was finally something interesting in his prison of boredom.
She looked at her classmates and he smiled slightly as he saw their hungry looks. She was ready to speak and face the consequences. He leaned forward. "The entire truth girl."
Her mouth closed… He frowned. Inconceivably, she had been planning on lying… or at least obscuring the truth. She was considering something… he could see in the way she bit her lip, as if weighing her actions. It should have been a simple decision, yet she evidently had heard of his ability to ferret out lies, and wasn't sure if she should risk it. Why was telling the truth so difficult? Her hands clenched… There was that hint of fear again.
She turned towards the hologram, determination washing away her blank mask. "Objective?"
He needed more eyes… she had apparently not been paying attention at all. "While I do wonder how you managed to completely be unaware of the entire lesson, I assume that you wish to try your luck with this simulation?"
Tonelessly. "Yes."
"Old Separatist forces have captured the planet and are using the old factories to begin droid construction. Hyperspace anomalies mean that reinforcements are slow to arrive."
She nodded and he watched in fascination as she began the simulation. Her movements were strangely deft… as if she had experience. She observed the situation instead of rushing in, spotted the mines that would destroy any possible reinforcements, and established a time frame. She surpassed his expectations even though she would fail at the simulator. If only his older students would perform at a similar level.
"Have the stormtroopers board the lambda shuttle and prepare to launch when the power goes out."
She had noticed that there was an ion cannon charging on the surface… impressive. The bell rang.
"Class dismissed. Ms. Japor stay."
It seemed that he didn't have to worry as her eyes remained focused on the simulation. If only she would apply the same focus in class.
The ion burst hit the Star Destroyer. "It seems you have failed Ms. Japor."
She didn't flinch or respond to his statement. The emergency power turned on. "Status report on the away teams."
What? He blinked, shook his head, but she was still continuing the simulation. He walked over beside her and watched as the away teams slipped past the planetary defenses. The troops had made it to the ground unnoticed. She had overcome the biggest obstacle in the simulation; maybe, just maybe, she would succeed.
A small smile formed on her face as explosions rocked the surface and the Separatist leader asked to negotiate terms of surrender. Lieutenant Prazak observed her for a moment before looking around the classroom. A girl hovered by the door… Cindy. "Out!" he roared. Wide eyes stared at him for a second, before she dashed out, the door sliding shut behind her.
"I'll see you after the break," Ms. Japor said as she began to walk to her desk.
He glared at her and noticed with some satisfaction that the victorious smile slipped away. "Sit."
She sat and was wearing the stupid mask again. "I met your conditions sir."
One breath… two breaths… He slammed his fists on her desk and leaned forward. "I'm not sure whether I should be mad that you apparently didn't pay any attention today in class or mad that you've been purposefully been underperforming in my class since you've gotten here!"
Her tone was defensive as she responded. Every part of her screamed flabbergasted as if her beating the simulation was a fluke. "I've been trying my best sir."
Her hands twitched and he drawled, "That's a blatant lie. Try again."
"I was distracted sir." She looked downwards guiltily.
"Obviously, but that still doesn't explain what could be distracting or why you are underperforming!" She flinched as he yelled and he could see her eyes glass over again. "It's apparently very distracting… What could possibly be so important?"
Finally, she displayed some honest emotions… even if it was annoyance. "I'm leaving school early because my father has a business trip."
That didn't clear up any of his confusion. Her thumb trailed over her fingers. "Lie."
Exasperation flooded her face and he couldn't stem the feeling of satisfaction as she looked at him in befuddlement. "You should work for the ISB."
"I'll take that as a compliment," he replied as he crossed his arms, "Now what about you tell me the truth."
Petulantly, "I don't have too."
"I'm not above putting you in detention for lying to a teacher and writing to your parents about it."
He could detect the barest hint of fear as she sighed in defeat. "It's classified."
"And what does your father do that he would pull you out of school early for classified reasons?"
Frustration and fear… She had been minutely interesting before, yet now he felt himself caring: something was terribly wrong in her life. "He is a mechanic."
He could have left it at that. He knew the statement was true, yet inherently false. The girl was a disturbingly good liar. "Your father is not just a simple mechanic."
Instincts that he had quelled for landing him a teaching job in the Mid Rim roared to life again. The last time he had followed his instincts and sought the truth, he had been punished and thrown away to be forgotten. He should ignore the feelings and return to his bland, but safe life.
"It is classified," she whispered and he knew that she wished he would drop it.
He really should because poking his nose into Imperial business was a good way to disappear permanently. "And the reason for your mediocrity is classified as well?"
"I'm not-"
Cutting across, "You're about to lie."
Exhaling, she grimaced. "I don't want attention," he raised his eyebrows, "It is better to be underestimated."
"You're too young for that and you'll end up hurting yourself in the end. I expect you to be at the top of your class when you come back from break."
"Other kids won't like it… their parents are governors and-"
He sighed and leaned forward. "You," he pointed his finger at her sternly, "are making excuses."
She looked at him desperately and he could feel her worry. "You don't understand…"
"Then help me understand," he straightened and towered over her, "or Force help me… I'll put you in detention until you perform to the best of your abilities and I'll be sure to tell your parents exactly why."
Fear shone in her eyes. She wasn't afraid of him… but of the consequences. He softened his voice, trying to let her trust him. He remembered the bruises… the smell of bacta when he first met her. Was she actually clumsy as he had assumed? "Does your father hurt you?"
She stood up, her hands clenching her bag. "No! He loves me."
The statement was true, yet false. Puzzle pieces were missing. "What about your mother?"
A swallow. He could feel her pain. "I'm not living with her anymore."
He walked forward slowly, trying to be gentle even though he was terrible at it. "When was the last time you saw her?"
"Over a year… ago." She bit back a sob and her eyes were focused on something else: a memory. Her fists curled in tightly.
"Why does your father not allow you to see her?" he whispered.
She was tense and ready to flee. "Father doesn't like… her."
"If he truly loves you, he wouldn't deny you the right to see her." He moved in closer and he knelt before her so he could see her face. She didn't say anything. Her lips quivered.
Softly, "Please stop."
"Stop what?" He looked into her eyes.
"Stop making me remember…" She was biting her lip and small trembles shook her body.
"Why do you call him father?"
She gasped slightly and muttered something below her breathe. "His head…"
"What did you see?" he whispered pleadingly.
Her eyes widened and she pulled her hands out of his grip. Before he could stop her, she had fled the classroom. The room felt empty without her. His feet carried him to the door as he looked around, almost hoping to see her outside. The hallway was empty.
Going back inside he picked up his datapad and sat down in his chair. He had a lunch appointment with Gerald in ten minutes. He should be leaving. It would be rude to let him wait, especially considering Gerald was the only staff member he was cordial with.
He unlocked the datapad and opened the student files. "Leia Japor," he whispered. The pad pinged and he saw her face. "Only child… daughter of a mechanic… has an authorized code for pickup… mother died when she was born…"
Every single thing about her was false. He inserted a brief note that she would be moved to his senior advanced tactical class. She would hate him for it, but he refused to compromise his integrity and allow her to underperform in his class. Other classes would be open to negotiation. He could already feel the upcoming headache.
Scanning the walls, he turned slightly. To anyone viewing the security footage, it would be seem like an innocent move. He pulled out his personal pad and created a new file.
Leia Japor
Known:
Astonishingly good liar.
School's file is false.
Involved in classified operations within the Empire.
He stopped writing for a moment as he considered what he wrote. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to send her to… school.
Has been sent to this school for an unknown reason.
Unknown:
Who her father is?
What her father does?
Who her mother is?
Why Ms. Japor isn't allowed to meet her mother?
Why Ms. Japor is good liar?
Why Ms. Japor insists on mediocrity?
He stopped, looked at the growing list and deleted it before continuing.
Unknown:
Everything.
Notes or suspicions:
Has bruises and burn marks. Probably a regular occurence. (Check when she comes back from break.)
Is afraid of her father or something related to him. (Interestingly, she implied that her father wouldn't hurt her because he loved her.)
Everything about her was messed up. He frowned as he looked back at the list. She had said something about… a head?
Saw an execution… someone close to her?
He really needed to talk to Gerald. It seemed like he would be making the lunch meeting after all.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Syrena could feel Leia arriving and she smiled slightly in anticipation. Time could only be measured in two ways: the Fourth Brother or Leia. Leia often told her of tales of school or general events in the galaxy. It felt surreal that something existed beyond the familiar walls, despite having distant memories of fresh air.
She closed her eyes and focused on Leia, trying to feel her warm presence. She didn't know why, but it was becoming easier to feel Leia even when she was gone. Her warm presence was always in the corner of her mind. Sometimes she swore she could feel it when Leia was happy. But for now, Leia was home. She would be down soon, she always was.
Standing up, she rolled her shoulders and called the stick to her hand with the Force. Controlling her breathing, she let herself fall into the practice swings. The door slid open. It wasn't Leia.
She stilled and dropped to her knee. "Master."
He strolled forward, his footsteps echoing off the hard stone floor. "Ah… 137. Practising I see?"
"Yes Master." She kept kneeling as he struck her back with something hard. She refused to cry out.
"Did I give you permission to practice?"
Her eyes narrowed, but she pushed down her irritation. She was a survivor. "No Master."
He struck her again. "Get up." His voice was filled with contempt.
Slowly she got up, careful to not set him off. It was unfortunate that she had allowed herself to get distracted by Leia's arrival. Looking through the fringe of her hair, she observed the Fourth Brother. He sported a new scar on his face.
"Are you going to act without permission again 137?"
"No Master," she replied tonelessly.
He didn't want her to get strong. It was his job to keep her weak. She clenched her hand around the stick still in her hand. He was the enemy.
She could feel the blow before it landed, but forced herself to stand still. The Fourth Brother was in an unusually foul mood, but she wasn't strong enough to defeat him yet. As he pulled out the stun baton, she let herself drift off by imagining his death. It would be exciting.
"Stop smiling!" snarled the agent and he dragged her off the ground.
She looked at him in surprise. Had she been smiling?
The Force screamed in danger and she could feel the strike being aimed at her head. She couldn't let it land. Her body crumpled downwards. Her enemy lurched forward, off balance, and the baton whistled a hair over her head. The strike might have killed her.
Survival instincts flooded her mind and she drew on her anger to give her power. A low growl burst free from her throat as she observed the Fourth Brother. She charged.
For a brief second, she saw his surprise before he dodged out of the way. She narrowed her eyes and swung her stick at his head. The baton intercepted it easily and a kick threw her back. Pain burned through her stomach; it didn't matter. She would defeat him.
The darkside feasted on her pain… her anger, and in return, it gave her the strength to stand up and face him again. "I will destroy you."
The Fourth Brother rolled his eyes.
Her stick swung to his midsection, but this time she was prepared for his block and easily bounced off to come in for another strike. Anger. She kicked… and missed.
In the back of her mind, she could notice her moves getting sloppy. She was being guided by rage, the very mistake Leia had warned her against. Something blasted into her and she flew against the wall again. As the air was knocked out of her lungs, her grasp on the darkside slipped. Groaning, she opened her eyes to watch the Fourth Brother trudge forward.
"Pathetic," he snarled. "Absolutely pathetic and a waste of time. You have some fighting skills 137, but you don't know how.. To… SUBMIT!"
Her heart pounded in her chest and she swallowed nervously as he came closer. Desperately, she tried to get her body to move, to react, to defend itself.
"Do you know what I should do with you 137?"
"No Master," she whispered. Her eyes looked at him desperately.
"I should end you before you become a real nuisance." She could see him holding his lightsaber in his right hand.
"Please Master…"
His hand stretched forward and wrapped around her throat. "The only question is which way I should kill you."
Her eyes burned as his fingers tightened. There was nothing she could possibly do. She had been so excited for Leia to be back… Leia would know what to do… What would Leia do? The fingers tightened some more. She couldn't breathe.
"I think this would be a fitting end. Killed like an animal… You hate that don't you."
He smiled at her grotesquely and she could feel herself becoming light headed. She needed air. She had no idea what Leia would do.
The hand let go and she gasped for air desperately. He patted her cheek. "Anything to say before I finish you?"
"No Master," she croaked. This was the end.
His voice dropped slightly, "Nothing at all?"
"I don't want to die," she replied. That was the truth. There were so many things that she could still do. She wanted to live.
The Fourth Brother cocked his head to the side slightly, "You want to live?"
"Yes Master." She hated herself for the pleading tone that enter her words. She had to live.
"Good," he crooned and a smile tinted with insanity crossed his face, "Then you're not entirely worthless. Stand."
He straightened and she could see the expectation in his face. She tried to draw the Force around her, as she slowly moved her limbs and rolled over onto her stomach. Her arms collapsed as she attempted to push herself off the ground. The Fourth Brother waited.
Closing her eyes, she thought of Leia: her voice, her warmth, her caring hands. Slowly, imagining that Leia was there, she found the strength to fight her way up into a standing position.
"Master," she whispered as she inclined her head slightly.
Nodding in approval, "Follow me."
Syrenna prayed to the Force that she wouldn't collapse, as she began the arduous task of following the Fourth Brother to the door… and out of the room.
The hallway was silent as Syrena stumbled after the Fourth Brother. She could hear phantom screams in the air. How did Leia smile after walking through these hallways? A door opened and she entered warily. Her eyes burned as bright light assaulted them. In front of her, the Fourth Brother knelt down on the ground. "Kneel," he reminded her.
Collapsing seemed to be a likelier option. "Don't bother," a different voice ordered. From the window, a man turned around and walked closer to them. "I have to say Fourth Brother that you should take better care of your toys."
"She needed to learn a lesson Master," the Fourth Brother snarled back.
A small chuckle burst from the unknown man as he walked around her. "Yet for all your teaching, you always deliver subpar candidates. Tell me, are you such a lacking teacher or do you just kill the strong ones?"
The Fourth Brother stood up angrily. "They are all weak and unworthy!"
"Even this one?" replied the stranger, before using the Force to pull a chair up to her side, "Sit girl. I doubt you will survive the fall when you collapse." She fell into the chair.
"She has potential," admitted her teacher.
"Potential? I'd say she had quite a bit more to have been able to walk into this room," he turned and looked into her eyes. "Hmm girl, you wonder who I am?"
"Yes… Master."
He straightened and smiled, his yellow eyes shining. "I'm the Grand Inquisitor… I oversee all the Inquisitors and apparently," he turned towards the Fourth Brother again, "their terrible teaching methods."
Her teacher stepped forward angrily. "My methods are sound. She'd be nothing without them."
Anger crackled through the air. "You forget your place Fourth Brother." He lifted his hand and Syrena watched in horror as the Fourth Brother flew around the room like a rag doll. Finally the Grand Inquisitor let him drop, "She may also be something more than a pile of broken bones with a different teacher… it hurts doesn't it?"
The Grand Inquisitor turned and walked closer to her again. His eyes stared into her own, searching. "A different Master would do you much good. What do you think girl?"
His gaze was sharp, hungry and she flinched beneath it. He was too smart and would uncover any deception. He would find Leia and then she would lose her only friend… her little sister. "He is my Master."
"Interesting…" He ignited his lightsaber and strode towards the Fourth Brother, who desperately scooted away. It swung forward and Syrena looked away, closing her eyes. The smell of burnt flesh wafted through the room. The Grand Inquisitor spoke again, "An arm for your failure. The Empire doesn't condone the wasting of resources. If this ever becomes an issue again, I will bring it up with Lord Vader. You don't want that, do you?"
"No Master, thank you for your mercy," he rasped.
"Your students will be reassigned although I dread the state I should find them in. 137 has, inconceivably, chosen you… If it weren't for her, you'd be dead. So for your sake, you better prepare her so she makes it through the trials."
"Yes Master," the Fourth Brother replied.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Leia entered Syrena's room carefully. With her, she had her usual supply of bacta and food. To her surprise, Syrena had a small light, a blanket, and bandages. "What happened Syrena? Are you okay?"
A small nod and a smile. "Better now Leia. It is nice to see you."
Her worries and fears washed away as she looked at her friend. Not able to help herself, Leia enveloped Syrena in a hug. "I missed you."
"Has it been that long? I didn't think it was."
A chuckle escaped her and Leia shook her head. "No. Just haven't had the greatest… well honestly, past two days."
Syrena nodded and grabbed a bread roll and leaned against the wall. "I guess a lot can change."
"Looks like it did for you," Leia replied although she looked at her friend worriedly. What had happened to necessitate such a big change in her friend's treatment.
"My teacher got chewed out by the Grand Inquisitor, who apparently wasn't too happy with the quality of teaching."
"You mean hitting people repeatedly and hoping they'll learn?"
Syrena looked away, avoiding her eyes. "That probably factored into it."
"Well I'm glad you're getting some medical attention. Force knows you need it."
Leia trailed off into silence and closed her eyes. She just had a couple of hours before Caden would look for her and it would be time to leave and rendezvous with her father's fleet. Then… no, she would rather not think about that right now.
"You're worried about something," Syrena commented.
Leia forced herself to relax and lean against her friend. "Just some school stuff. Cindy might have to leave if she doesn't get her grade in history up… There's also Luther. He keeps trying to chat with me. I don't know why he's trying to hang out with me. He's a bit of a snob and I'm quite sure all of his friends hate me."
Syrena shifted slightly and grabbed another bread roll. "That's not what you're actually worried about. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
She could hear the crowd screaming in the distance and the sickening sound of a lightsaber meeting flesh. "I've been trying to not think about it. I thought I succeeded but a teacher of mine… he kept asking questions and then all I could think of was… Dad…"
She broke off and let a sob break through. Two arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay Leia. Just think of something else… that's what I do."
She nodded and nestled closer into the hug, enjoying the feeling of being enveloped in warmth. Small sobs racked her body, but Syrena didn't judge or ask, just sat there in silent comfort. When her alarm chirped, she reluctantly extracted herself from Syrena's arms.
"Thank you," she whispered
"See you soon," Syrena whispered, the longing clear in her voice.
Leia exited the room feeling slightly better. When she met Caden in front of her room, she gave him a warm smile.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he adjusted his helmet.
Surprising herself with her honesty, "Yeah, not looking forward to the trip though."
Caden chuckled as he led her to the shuttle. "I imagine Lord Vader is about as excited as you are."
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
The Emperor dismissed his Hand with a wave, before turning, and looking out at the skyline of Imperial Center. The natural light of Coruscant Prime, was as always, filtered through the gaps of ships, landing and leaving. Today, a Star Destroyer obscured a rather large chunk of the sky. His apprentice had arrived… He smiled in anticipation, the girl would be with him.
Leia Organa… an interesting child to have captured his apprentice's attention. It had been over a year since the execution, yet contrary to his prediction, Vader still protected her. His agents on Mustafar had been quickly dispatched with a lone agent in charge of maintaining the ships the only exception. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that the agent had escaped scrutiny. No, Vader let him live as a message. The agent's life hung on a simple thread in a game between Master and Apprentice. He would have found it amusing at any other time, but his apprentice was rapidly falling out of his control.
He needed the meeting to assess how much he should worry and if he was lucky, discover more about the girl. All his agents' reports had been depressingly lacking. When he had finally tracked down the school Vader had sent her to, he had expected to discover a stellar student. Instead he got a mediocre student with apparently no skill in anything. Vader… Vader wouldn't allow anyone to perform average. It was a ruse, but for whose benefit, he wasn't sure.
The darkside churned around him and the future remained cloudy. He could see the ever growing power of the darkness and in the great distance, a beacon of light. The light had always been there, but now it swayed with uncertainty. So many things had been set in motion and the dark was growing. The key to understanding it lay with the girl. He was missing something.
He could feel his apprentice descending to the planet. While Vader's mental shields were strong, he could feel his apprentice's power reaching about the planet. He was getting stronger. Perhaps there was some truth in the statement that the girl gave him purpose… or maybe Vader had realized the extent to which Sidious had lied to his apprentice to keep him weak. Mentally, his apprentice had never had the discipline and it was easy to plant ideas that kept him dependant.
Gullible… that would be an uncommon adjective to describe Vader, but too true. Or it had been. His apprentice believed things without question and while he had been dismayed to have a physically impaired apprentice… it made it much easier to control Vader. The palace shuddered slightly as Vader strode in and let the Force wash over the building.
Sidious groaned and returned to his throne. His apprentice was going to forgo being announced and throw open the double door, wasn't he? Always.. Always needing to be dramatic.
The doors flew open.
"Was that really necessary Vader?" he asked in exasperation. He had the doors painted yesterday.
Vader didn't respond and instead knelt on the ground defferringly. Slightly behind him, the girl followed suit. He eyed her for a moment. She had grown, but was still afraid… at least she had some common sense.
He observed the duo for a few minutes, letting them become uncomfortable. His apprentice didn't move… although the girl had less discipline and shifted ever so slightly. Still, she was more disciplined than some dignitaries he hosted and she was only eleven… almost twelve. Empire Day would be soon and her birthday was the day after. A fitting coincidence.
"Come here girl."
She rose unsteadily and glanced at her father slightly… Strange that she would trust him so much. Still, she walked forward and her face remained clear of all the churning emotions he could feel in the Force. She stopped just out of his reach.
"Leia Organa," she flinched as he hissed the last name. A weakness. "I guess you're Leia Vader now. A big name for such small shoulders…. Come closer child."
Almost defiantly, she took just one step forward.
He stood up slowly, noting how his apprentice tensed slightly. Walking over to the girl, he enjoyed how her brown eyes widened in fear. Like a viper, he grabbed her hand and ignored the small shout of surprise. The darkside clung to him as he looked at her. What did the future hold in store because of her?
His apprentice's gaze burned into him as he commanded the Force to show him the future, her future.
A young woman kissed a man passionately and in the corner a small child gurgled happily. "Leia," breathed the man, "What about the Empire?"
He narrowed his eyes as the vision flitted away… He needed more.
A pure white wolf trudged through the snow leaving bloody footprints. Branded into the skin on one side was the imperial logo, on the other, a phoenix. In the distant a black wolf howled.
Sidious let out a deep breath. The Force was being annoyingly vague.
The crowd cheered as a woman in a blood red dress emerged on the balcony. They stared at her in adoration. "Let the execution begin."
A group of stormtroopers dragged him and Vader forward.
The vision ended abruptly and he stared at the girl. She was dangerous… far more than he had expected. The Force dragged him into another vision.
She was brought into the room in chains and he could see himself sitting on the throne.
"Ahh… Leia Vader… I guess I should call you Organa or Skywalker now."
She smiled and he could see the amusement rippling across her body. The situation didn't seem to faze her at all. "If you really need a name… I prefer The General… I think it suits me more than any moniker you could come up with."
His alter looked at her in slight confusion. "So you truly renounce your father?"
Hatred passed over her features. "Vader killed my father. He is no relation of mine."
"Kill her," he ordered. Nobody moved. "Kill her!"
Laughter escaped Leia. "They like me more."
A red lightsaber tore through his alter's body and he watched a woman step over his dead body. "Well Leia, he is dead. Long live the Republic or whatever."
Sidious returned to the present. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that what he had seen were the only possible outcomes, but his deaths had something in common: he underestimated her ability to inspire loyalty.
"Tell me child, who are you loyal to?"
"The Empire, your highness."
That was a lie… he had his work cut out for him. "Leave child. Your father and I need to have a talk."
She fled the room and the door shut after her with a thud. The air was still as Sidious regarded his apprentice. "She is dangerous."
Vader tensed and Sidious walked back to the throne, careful to not turn his back to his apprentice. Sitting down, he considered what to do. All of his plans meant nothing if she turned against the Empire. As an asset… it was a shame she wasn't Force-sensitive. She would be much more skilled in navigating the political mess that was the Imperial Court. His apprentice was many things and that unfortunately included being a terrible liar.
Life would be simpler if that girl had never existed. "You'll be joining the Imperial Court Lord Vader. It would be beneficial if you would refrain from killing them. After all, if you plan on making good on your threat to dispose of me if I harm her, then you'll need to deal with them. So learn now."
"Master?"
"One to crave power and one to hold it? Remember that Vader? I just never imagined that any apprentice of mine would take the power and hurl it into deep space because they are sentimental."
Vader stood up, his contempt radiating through the air. "I'm not being sentimental."
"There is a high chance the girl will destroy both of us. It's not like she has a reason to be sentimental. The Empire killed her father."
"You ordered his death."
"And you committed the deed." He dragged his fingers across the armrest. "She can bring the Empire to new heights, but if we aren't careful. She'll burn it to the ground… It would be much safer to kill her."
His apprentice reached for his lightsaber. He rolled his eyes and stared at Vader for a second longer. "And if I do that, you'll raze the Empire to the ground. I'll give you until Empire Day to kill her. If you don't, I'll announce her as your heir to the Imperial Throne. Choose wisely."
"Is that all Master?" Vader asked, turning to leave.
He slightly lowered the shields around his mind so Vader would hear the truth in his words. "I saw her order our execution, I also saw her renounce you. Whatever false notion you hold, that girl can turn against you and it may very well kill you."
His apprentice didn't reply. The doors swung shut behind him.
? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ? ﾝﾄﾾ?
Argh… so much set up. I want to get to the exciting bit.
Like it, hate it? Reviews are generally what kick me off my lazy but to write… or having nothing better to do because I'm running a fever. This update took so long because I got hung up on the next chapter of Little Angel… that update should be out once I get it back from my beta. You will also be glad to know I've started the next chapter of Princess. I really, really, want to have it done for Christmas.
It is important to note that Force visions in my stories do not tell the definite future. You will see the elements of the visions reoccuring and I honestly dumped a bit too much foreshadowing in this chapter… and a couple red herrings. Have fun. :P
This story may be taking a purposeful break in the spring due to the Han Solo movie. If it wasn't for the movie being released so soon, I'd have a more definite time line for Han's proper introduction. I'll probably have a better idea regarding the time line once the trailer comes out. On the other hand I write so slowly... If I do put this story on break, I'll definitely be focusing my time on the short story I have planned for Leia's school years. No promises, but there may be something published in January.
...Also really quick, since I'm starting to have a rather thick cast of OCs, who is your favorite?