Chapter 5: Theed

"There's been a true awakening in the force, Lord Vader."

The man in question knelt in front of his master and took in a deep, meditative breath. It had been years since the Rebellion failed, but the murderous intent he felt towards the Emperor — which he kept as carefully concealed as ever — had never once abated. Instead, it had continued to fester, as it did with all Sith apprentices. However, now was not the correct time to take action. There hadn't been a correct time in decades... but it was coming. He could sense it similarly to how he could sense a storm on the horizon. In this case, it felt like both.

The day the Rebellion had been obliterated, his soul nearly split in two. He had spent decades destroying whatever had been left of Anakin Skywalker, but within such a short time, his son had broken through all his fury and darkness, enough so that the man he had once been had managed to ooze through those cracks. In his position, he could do nothing with the Rebellion lost, and he had committed enough atrocities in the name of his master that it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He had done what he could by bartering for Leia Organa's life in the aftermath and allowing Luke to leave the Death Star relatively unscathed. His son had remained in hiding since then, and that knowledge was enough. All information about his whereabouts and Leia's actions would go through him — his troopers had more loyalty to him than Sidious, anyway. He picked and chose what information was necessary for the Emperor to hear as the years passed, not that there was much he found out, anyway. And he waited. As he had been doing. It had been easier to filter information before the Hutts began an uprising of their own earlier this year. Prior to that, Sidious had spent most of his time attending to his own matters of importance in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. Now, however, he had taken a vested interest in reorganizing and strengthening the Empire, and his near-constant presence made him wary.

Vader could feel the power emanating from Sidious, even in such old age. It was a potent reminder of his own mortality.

His eyes flickered to the viewport behind the throne for a moment. Naboo was displayed in all her glory amongst the stars.

A deep, gnawing grief settled in his stomach. A pain that never truly left him.

Before her face could materialize in his mind, he pushed her out. Now wasn't the time, but with the planet — her planet — so close, it was hard to think of anything but her. He focused instead on his anger, not only towards Sidious for failing him so many years ago, but at himself, for being so blinded.

"Yes, my master," he replied woodenly, obtaining power from his emotions. It gave him the strength he needed. The dark side revitalized him like no machine ever could, even if his hold upon it was tenuous. His eyes were still fixed on the planet. "I have felt it."

"I wonder... Vader... If you will finally succeed with your grandson where you failed me so hopelessly before."

His eyes moved from the planet to Sidious. He was watching him quietly from his throne, dark interest written on his face, but much more concerning than that: a promise.

Do not fail me again.

Sidious had been searching for a younger apprentice to replace him, just as he had quietly waited for the chance to run him through with his saber and take his place. It was a game they'd played — a game they had been playing — for decades now. Only this time, his grandson — far more righteous and angry than Luke had ever been — stood in the balance between them.

"He has much anger and resolve in him, my master. He is close, I can sense it."

"I suspect," Sidious continued, a cruel smile curling his nearly translucent, white lips, "he will come to us all on his own."

Caught up in his all-consuming fury at Voe — one that lingered so deeply in his chest that he slept and woke up irate — Ben somehow thought he would be able to find his way to his grandfather in the old, Kuat-manufactured transport without being shot down. He'd vascillated in space above Ahch-To before deciding to meditate to clear his mind. The Force had pulled him where he needed to go — to his grandfather... to Naboo. Now, thanks to his rashness, he was carrying two unconscious girls with him on his journey to apprehend a ship and try once again. What did he have to lose, after all? There was truly nothing left for him now except this path, and it felt righter than anything else ever had.

Not wanting to be shot down by Imperial ships again, his ticket into the Death Star currently had her legs draped over his lap. Her back was pressed against the inside of the door, her head on his shoulders and supported by his left hand as he drove the tiny, two-person seraph-class flash speeder with his right. Unfortunately, Naboo had never had a predilection towards war, and that was reflected in their vehicles. Not much had changed despite the Empire's takeover, and that included their transportation. This speeder was old and not equipped to go at full speed for an extended period of time, nor over such rough terrain, but he supposed it didn't matter if it broke. It's not like he would ever use one again after today.

They were heading towards Theed's spaceport at near full speed and a mixture of her positioning and the wind ripping around them had caused the girl's night dress to ride up. He tried valiantly not to look at her. Not to stare. He pressed his lips together and swallowed hard. He'd seen her only in dreams, dreams that had been so fleeting between his own darkness and nightmares that he rarely ever remembered them. She had become a balm to his soul — the only reprieve from them in more recent years. Feeling somewhat merciful at the time because he had been entranced by her, he'd taken her handmaiden as well instead of leaving her on the estate where she'd, no doubt, be killed when found. She was strapped in the seat next to them, unconscious, too. They were only 45 minutes out thanks to how quickly he was driving the speeder, but he was still starting to become antsy. The Empire should have sent a squadron down by now to assess the damage, and once they saw what took place at the estate, Naboo would devolve into chaos.

He couldn't seem to understand, however, why that hadn't happened yet. Surely they knew.

Unable to get away from his thoughts, his mind wandered to his mother, who likely knew by now that he had left also. He'd suspected for years, but having Luke confirm that she had been working, in some capacity, to revive the Rebellion pissed him off. She had been under strict watch after Endor, and he suspected, in order to keep him safe, she had acquiesced to the Empire's demands... meaning she could no longer work for her cause.

His birth had been a liability. Perhaps even her greatest shame. A child out of wedlock with an infamous smuggler who'd died before he was even born. She'd kept him a secret for years — allowing precious few people around him.

Ben never understood how Leia had managed to escape death; it had never made sense. Not until the reveal that Vader was her father. He'd clearly spared her for some reason.

Perhaps if his father had still been alive — Han Solo — he might not have been sent to Luke. Perhaps none of this would have happened. Just another thing he could blame the Rebellion for. He supposed it didn't matter now, he would have never been told the truth of his heritage either way.

The galaxy hadn't changed much since the failed Battle of Endor. The Empire had tightened its grip on every system under its command and continued to reign supreme. The Rebellion had disbanded soon after the destruction of Chandrila and Mon Cala, and all that was left were small, unorganized, grassroots movements since then. If the Empire heard of any form of unrest on a planet, a squadron would be sent out to destroy whoever was behind it and rain misfortune upon the world responsible. Out of fear, people stayed quiet. The one concession given after Endor was that the Senate be reinstated — something his mother had been a part of in a limited capacity as a governor. Once upon a time, that was a position he wanted. Not only because he was good at what he did, but for the power. Power to effect change. Like his grandfather.

His mother, however, claimed that the ruse of reforming the Senate was merely a formality, and a smart one, at that.

Ben was jolted out of his thoughts as the girl moved. He stiffened immediately and looked down. Her eyes opened drowsily and met his with a frown before glancing down and taking in her position across his legs. It took only seconds before chaos broke loose.

"You!" she hissed, slapping him across the face. Hard.

He supposed he deserved that for being so idiotic as to think she'd stay unconscious for the entire ride. He should have known better. She was untrained but had raw power. She didn't know how to utilize the Force properly, but her strength would make it a lot harder for her to stay under his influence.

He cursed and the speeder jolted to the side as she moved quickly to get off him. By the angry look on her face, it was likely so she could get a better angle to hit him with. Loud, annoying warning beeps resonated.

"You're off course, please turn back."

Using both hands, he moved her arms down to restrain her and bring her back flush against him. She screeched like a savage before trying to get out of his hold. The beeps got louder, and he could feel a headache coming on. He took a deep, calming breath as he tried not to hurt her.

"You're off course, please turn back."

"Would you calm down?" he snapped, trying to maneuver around her.

Holding her in place with his right arm around her torso, he grabbed the steering wheel with his left and moved them back on course...

Only to be thrown back off course and into a wheat field when the girl's head collided squarely with his nose.

"You're off course, please turn back."

He saw stars as his head slammed back onto the top of the seat, feeling the slow trickle of what he assumed was blood dripping down his face. The beeps started to get louder again and his anger intensified.

"You're off course, please turn—"

He snarled, and in one swift movement, punched through the front dash of the speeder. The pain in his hand was blinding, and he nearly choked on it, but the machine shut up, and the girl froze in complete shock, allowing him the opportunity to freeze her.

"Sorry, princess," he hissed. He could feel the burning electricity of her anger hovering around her in the car, and it was invigorating. With both hands finally free — one of which was thoroughly fucked up, now — he veered the speeder sharply back on track, his movements jerky with irritation. He momentarily thanked his lucky stars that they'd veered through a field of crops and not a forest. "If you can't behave, I'll knock you out again."

Focusing back on the road, he pushed the speeder to its limit as Theed came into view. He jerked his head towards it.

"This is Theed," his voice was clipped and strained. "Since you don't know how to interact with other beings, I'm presuming you've never been in an area like a city where you'd need to come in contact with them."

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, he released the hold only on her face and vocal cords, allowing her to speak. He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, but he instantly regretted it.

"I don't interact with perverts," she spat, still filled with anger. "Don't think I don't know what you were doing—"

So that's what this is about.

As stupid as it was, he took offense to her words. Scoffing, he cut her off.

"If I needed a fuck, I sure as hell wouldn't try with the granddaughter of the most powerful man in the universe."

She opened her mouth to argue but he raised his bloody hand to close her mouth with the Force, while simultaneously punching the fuel with his foot, willing this vehicle to go faster. She let out a frustrated sound of anger, and it delighted him.

"Spare me. I had you here," he gestured sharply to his lap, "because I didn't want to pile you on top of your poor handmaiden."

Silence reigned in the car until he felt her anger ebb. Satisfied that she wouldn't start hurling insults at him, he released the hold on her mouth.

She seemed to be silently contemplating the information he gave her.

"Release me."

"Is that an order?" he snarked, making a fast turn that caused her to inhale sharply. "I'm not a servant. That crap won't work on me."

"I won't try to attack you," she grit the words out, as if they were painful to say.

"Really? And what kind of guarantee do I have that you won't punch my face and send us careening into the people in this city?"

"Unlike you, I don't revel in bloodshed."

She said it as if it were so obvious that he couldn't help but glance over at her. As if a Palpatine would give a measly bantha tick about anyone but themselves. It was a comical idea. She met his gaze without hesitation before her eyes flickered to his broken hand meaningfully. Clearing his throat, he finally looked away.

"How ironic."

He maneuvered the speeder off the crude, dirt path they'd been following and onto the main road. Traffic was picking up now and he slowed the vehicle down considerably to accommodate it while weighing her words.

He got in line behind another speeder and could feel his patience begin to slip in light of the traffic. He quickly brought his sleeve up and wiped the dried blood under his nose. Taking a deep breath, he also wiped the blood off his hand, trying hard to ignore the pain. Attention was the last thing he needed when they finally reached the spaceport, and he would be guaranteed that if he walked around with dried blood all over him.

"I won't let you out of the hold until we agree on a deal," he countered, making a sharp maneuver around the speeder in front of him to move ahead.

"What do you want?" she hedged, her voice a little less acerbic. "I don't have anything—"

"Your cooperation," he turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. "We both want to get off Naboo, but that won't happen unless we suck it up and work together. Attempt to trust each other."

He could feel her hesitancy.

She's smart to be hesitant, he thought.

"You haven't even told me your name."

He released her. She gasped, relaxing onto the seat beside him for a moment before straightening up and taking her torn robe and placing it over her lap in an effort to cover up. He felt a stab of guilt. She shouldn't be dressed like that in public, especially not on a planet as nice as Naboo. It wasn't revealing, but it was still obviously inappropriate.

He focused his eyes on the road. The port was just past the next turn. They were close.

"I'm Ben."

"Ben...?" she trailed off, shifting in the seat to get a good look at him. He felt heated by her stare.

The air between them tensed. He waited to see if she would figure out who he was on her own.

"Ben... Ben," his name sounded like a forbidden word from her lips. After a moment, recognition lit up her eyes.

So she does know.

"Ben Organa?" she whispered, trepidation clear in her voice. "I... I heard. Rose," she gestured to the sleeping girl beside her, "had informed me about the gossip but I didn't quite care. I don't have access to the HoloNet."

He could feel the sliver of trust she extended towards him with that admission, and he relaxed his stiff posture. She was willing to work with him. All he needed was her compliance until they left the planet. Then, he could restrain her however necessary, no matter how unappealing the thought was to him now, when she caught on to his plan.

Because if there was one thing he knew for certain about her, it was that she would figure it out. She was sharp. Sharp and volatile.

"I wouldn't expect much less from a man who sidelined you for twenty years," he muttered, feeling oddly irritated on her behalf. She'd wasted so much of her life hidden away, and for what? What was the reason when the Emperor planned to bring her out of the shadows anyway?

"He's... difficult," she managed to say, her voice coming out strangled. "But he's the only family I have."

He laughed. It was a cruel sound.

Ben parked in a secluded area before jumping off the side of the speeder, his movements carefully controlled. Her eyes watched him in surprise. She looked thoroughly offended.

"What? It's true!"

He came to her side, intending to help her out of the speeder, but she managed to hop up and out of it lithely enough on her own to stand in front of him. Warnings were going off in his head as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I know it's true," he kept his voice passive.

"Then why would you laugh?" she ground out, glaring.

"Because I'm not a stranger to the feeling," bitterness seeped into his words.

Her face softened into a look of confusion.

"You?" she said, as if she couldn't quite believe someone like him could understand her family issues.

He could feel his anger begin to rise, so he quickly changed the subject. She had managed to take his mind off it, but now it was coming back to the forefront with this pitiful conversation.

"I need to find a ship. Stay here," he gave her a look, "Seriously. Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

She gave him a nod, and he relaxed a little before turning away and eyeing the ships around them. He could almost read the thoughts swirling around in her mind as he walked away, she was thinking so loudly.

Sooo this should have been up last week! I haven't committed to a particular day to update this story yet, but I do know that I want to post a new chapter once a week. Unfortunately last week was sort of hell for me because I had my big, overarching degree project proposal due (I graduate with my second degree in May lol) so I spent all my time working on that and trying to get it perfect on top of completing my other homework. Sorry! Hopefully this sort of makes up for it since you get a peek into Vader's headspace. Also, thank you all for the reviews omg! So happy to see people are enjoying this. Hopefully I can live up to your expectations and make this a good fic.

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