9 BBY

FORTRESS VADER, MUSTAFAR

While her father had spent every second of the last week chasing every lead that could take them to Kenobi, he had no tangible results. Leia had likewise poured all of her time into something less than productive. She had been scouring every word of her grandmother's journal rather than schoolwork, but her father didn't seem to mind. Not this time.

The pages after Anakin Skywalker's birth were not at all like she expected. Somehow she believed her father had been born as tough and serious as he had been, but these pages told a different story. He was a reckless and selfless boy. He was as passionate then as he was wrathful now. It almost played like some sort of holo drama. A mother sending her son away to fall in love and forever change the Galaxy would have made a good story.

Though, the journal died down significantly after he had left for Coruscant. The time between entries only grew the longer the journal went. It was like she wasn't used to talking about herself, and when her son had left, she had nothing she wished to speak about. Each page described simple pleasures as if they were made of Aurodium.

Vader walked in unannounced. "Come along."

"How many times have I asked you to knock? Just a simple knock!"

"You have my apologies. My mind is elsewhere. We are going to Naboo. We shall pay our overdue respects."

She took a few moments to make sure she had heard him right.

"Wait. Seriously?"

"As always," he replied.

Leia shot up and was packed in seconds.

THEED, NABOO

She was restless the entire trip there. He barely, if ever, even referred to her mother by name, so such a bold idea for a holiday excited her. It only increased when they reached the Chommel sector. Leia tugged at her cloak. "Does mom's family… know about you? Pre-Vader, I mean."

A strong wave of sorrow signalling emanated from Vader. One ability the Force possesed, telempathy, was unwanted by her at times like this. She almost had to dodge the strong feelings her father passively exuded.

"Padmé insisted she hadn't even told her mother about us, but I'm certain they knew Anakin Skywalker to be the father of her child. They… said I was the only suitor she had ever brought home," he awkwardly explained. His fumfering translated into odd mechanical sounds through the vocabulator. "As for your mother, they know as much as the Galaxy at large, that she was assassinated by the Jedi and you died with her."

"If we do meet them, we should at least ease them into the idea of… you,"

"As you wish," Vader said. "In all these years, I've never found the courage to visit Padmé. I have found that strength… in you. I have been living in the past, trying to avoid it for too long."

Leia said nothing. The most feared man in the galaxy was afraid of something so mundane. The rest of the trip was silent, even more so when they approached Theed. The lush green hills were unlike any she had ever seen. Her mother had been born lucky. All she'd ever known were muted walls, lava, and her father's mechanical breathing, not rolling grass and chirping birds. As they came in to land in the hangar, Leia was focused on the ever audible Virdugo Plunge. The babbles could be heard deep within the hangar.

Something supernaturally chilly came over her for a moment accompanied by the thought of yellow eyes.

The newest in a line of puppet queens came to greet them, but she didn't care much. She was pretty, but not her mother. They received a tour of the palace, and Leia could still feel the negative emotion radiating off of her father. He'd been here. It only intensified as they passed a stained glass window of a woman in intricate red robes, her hair rounded in an elaborate headdress. Padmé Amidala, immortalized. It intrigued Leia to no end. Even eleven years after her death, and over twenty years since her term as queen, she was celebrated. Every other monument to a monarch within the palace had ruled at least a century ago.

Their business there seemed to have been gone in a flash. Leia just wanted to see her mother's grave. Not far from the palace, at the bottom of a set of elaborate stairs, was a massive monolith in the image of her mother. They stood in front of it for a moment, admiring the sculpture in silence. When they were done, Darth Vader moved the heavy stone door to the mausoleum with a flick of his hand. It surprised her how cavalier he was despite his apparent apprehension.

It was an eternity before either dared to step within. On the far wall was another immortalizing stained glass depiction of Padmé that let light filter through. On either side were flowers, still alive. Someone had been tending to the grave all these years. Dead center was a stone slab emblazoned with the royal crest of Naboo. Leia placed a hand on the cold sarcophagus containing her mother's remains.

Vader's emotions were more reined in than the last time she felt them. There was an underlying sadness, but it was mostly confusion and hatred. His daughter took a wild guess as to why.

"Hard to believe I killed a woman as strong as her," Leia said, laughing awkwardly.

Vader recoiled, looking at her in disbelief. "You are not responsible for her death," he said as soon as he regained enough composure to do so. "I am uncertain of what truly led to her death, but of that I am sure."

He looked away after she sniffled, nodding at him. She wondered what it would have been like to have a mother often. Leia had never met the woman, but she was ever-present in her dreams. At least- her fantasy of what she was like.

There was no room for interpretation between them. Leia took her father's hand. As she moved closer, he put his hand on her small head.

UNDERCITY, TARIS

Obi-Wan Kenobi softly blew on his tea before taking a sip of the rich earthy drink. He couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. Sure, they had been on the run for weeks, living hand to mouth, but the tea was great. As he enjoyed the drink, he looked out of the cafe and into the city's crowd expectantly. His visitor was running late. Some things just refused to change.

Luke stared at his cup as if he'd never seen one before. Luke sighed impatiently, in the same manner Anakin had. "Ben, what are we just waiting around here for?"

Luke no doubt felt exposed out here, as he watched the city folk come and go. He desperately wanted to get back to the hotel where his aunt and uncle were, and take a moment to breathe. He seemed to realize how easily these thoughts were being broadcast and blushed.

"Patience, Luke. Our mission here will be revealed soon," he said. "Although, I promise you we didn't come to Taris to sightsee."

"I wouldn't mind doing that, though," he said. It would have been much more interesting than sitting here in one place with a target on their back. "Did you see all the starships as we were coming in? And it's so green here!" he exclaimed, not seeming to care that what he described were wreckages and overgrown weeds left to those living in poverty. Everyone here was scrounging much as they were.

Kenobi chuckled. "Yes, well, this galaxy has quite a lot to see. When he was your age, your father's greatest aspiration was to see it all."

"That's unrealistic."

"Maybe so, but in fighting the Clone Wars, I'm sure he came close…"

Luke finally took a sip of his tea, grimacing. "Yuck."

"It's certainly an acquired taste, isn't it?" he chuckled.

Luke nodded, looking around in his boredom. That was when he noticed the tall hooded woman Ben was watching walk towards them. He reached for his saber, keeping his hand at waist level. Obi-Wan stood up and motioned for his charge to do the same. It wouldn't have been a stretch to say he was unconcerned. She drew her hood, revealing she was a Togruta with orange and white skin. Just the one he had come to see.

A great weight was lifted off his chest, and he couldn't help himself but smile.

"You've grown so much," he said, taking note of how much taller she was than him, montrals excluded.

The woman said nothing, embracing him tightly. Luke could only watch in confusion. He hadn't told Luke much of anything in order to protect both him and their interests.

"It's so good to see you again…"

"Likewise. It's been far too long," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "I do apologize that I was unable to contact you sooner. I… I didn't-"

The Togruta woman laughed, breaking away from him. "That's fine. I don't think either of us have exactly been easy to find these past few years. I thought you were dead, too."

Obi-Wan nodded, suddenly feeling even older. "I'm sorry you've had to survive on your own."

"That's just how it is," she said. "So, who's this?"

"My name is Luke Skywalker," he declared.

Her face sobered, her smile running away faster than anything he'd ever seen. "We should probably go somewhere with a little more privacy."

Obi-Wan was followed by his juniors back to their rented room in a nearby hotel. Owen stood up immediately from the kitchenette table. The two farmers were nothing if not paranoid in these trying times."Who's that?"

"A friend," Obi-Wan said. "You've no need for concern. This is Ahsoka Tano. These are Owen and Beru Lars, Anakin's step-family."

They exchanged bows before the Force-sensitives left to the spare bedroom in order to talk.

He dreaded what she said next since the day the Republic fell.

"You said Skywalker? You're Anakin's son?" she asked. "Is he… really gone?"

Luke nodded. "Since before I was born."

Ben leaned forward in his chair. Suddenly everything about the cushion was bothering him."I'm afraid Anakin was lost to the Dark Side, like most of our brothers and sisters. Luke's mother passed away in childbirth."

"I just assumed Padmé's child died with her. That's what they reported… To think I was tricked by the Empire too," she said, shaking her head in shame.

Obi-Wan raised a brow. "You knew of their relationship?"

Of course, he had too. He'd spent the past decade wondering what would have happened had either he or Anakin discussed the Bantha in the room. Unfortunately he had lost his apprentice's trust long before his fall. It was odd how they could throw around each other's lives without a care in the world, but not do something as simple as talk to each other. He'd not made a good enough effort, and Anakin was content bottling his feelings.

"Those two were anything but subtle," she chuckled. "I had my suspicions, but never any solid confirmation. Until now. I'd have won a few bets back in the day."

Luke looked at the two impatiently. "I'm glad you two can catch up, but I'm really confused. Who exactly are you?"

"I'm Ahsoka Tano, like Obi-Wan said. I was your father's apprentice during the Clone Wars," she explained.

Obi-Wan watched Luke as he considered the Togruta woman. Particularly, he took note of her lightsabers, which were concealed in a similar manner to his and Kenobi's. "You're a Jedi?!"

He made no effort to hide his excitement, a smile plastered on his face from ear to ear. Learning every sliver of Jedi lore had become his most recent hobby. Obi-Wan had been sparing with it, lest he start putting inconsistencies together.

"I was," she said. It left Luke dissatisfied, judging by his face. "There really aren't any Jedi anymore. The Empire has made sure of that."

"Well Obi-Wan is, and he's been training me to be a Jedi for a while now," Luke said triumphantly. "I'm pretty good."

Ahsoka smiled hopefully. "You never were able to sit still, Obi-Wan, despite your patience. You're nothing if not stubborn."

Patience and restlessness were not mutually exclusive, but he decided against going into that lecture. He had had… enough of that. His track record as a teacher was far from stellar. One Chosen One turned Sith Lord.

"Anakin had to learn it from someone," Obi-Wan said with a smirk. "Have you been staying safe, my old friend?"

She looked more or less in one piece. Ahsoka's eyes had hardened, a sure sign of someone always on the lookout for anything wanting to kill her. They were the eyes of someone whose hunches had saved their life on more than one occasion.

"I've had more run-ins with Inquisitors than I can count, but who hasn't these days?" Ahsoka said, smirking. "Not to mention all of my scuffles with Stormtroopers, but I'm still here."

"To be entangled with Stormtroopers, one must be actively seeking a fight," Obi-Wan said, a brow raised.

Ahsoka raised hers in turn. "Surely you must know I'm an agent of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. You contacted me on one of their channels."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Yes. I just wanted you to confirm it. It saddens me to hear that."

"Why, Obi-Wan?" she asked after a pause.

He flashed his somewhat signature thousand-meter smile. "You've been fighting for half your life."

"This time, it's for the right cause. I'm an adult. I can choose my battles," she told them confidently. "Let's get down to business. As much as I love to see you and discover all of Anakin's secrets, surely there's another reason you reached out to me."

Luke chuckled. "I don't know too many of those. Up until a little while ago I thought my father died in a freighter accident."

Ahsoka scoffed. "Any freighter accident involving Anakin Skywalker was caused by him. I find it hard to believe he died during the Purge. What exactly did it take to kill him? They say he was the last one to fall at the temple."

Ah yes, he had heard that tale himself. Privately, he wondered who had started it. By then, it had been a few moments too long, so he spoke.

"I'm certain Anakin was lost before the Temple," Obi-Wan sat back in his chair, feeling somehow even more distant. He was taken back to Mustafar and bristled against the imagined heat. "The Sith Lord's new apprentice," he said. "After Dooku," he added, stroking his beard. He couldn't find a comfortable position to sit.

"That's a relief," she said. Kenobi let his confusion be clear on his face. "Never mind," she said. None of them could do anything but frown. "I shouldn't have asked or said that. Is your business a more… vibrant subject?"

As Obi-Wan perked up, so did Luke. He was interested, though that didn't take much for such a hyperactive boy. . "I realize it doesn't sound like much from a Jedi Council member who both allowed the Sith to rise and wronged you during your trial, but the Force has revealed something to me,'' he said. He paused, mulling over whether or not he should say what he planned to next.

"Don't keep us in suspense," Ahsoka said jovially.

"I believe it is in your best interest to take Luke on as your Padawan learner."

There was a beat. Then two, then three. They sat in silence until Luke broke it.

"Huh?"

"Yeah I have to agree with Luke, there. No offense to you, but I'm just not a Jedi. Even if I was, I'm definitely not ready to do something like that," she refuted, seemingly losing her cool facade for the first time. All he could see was that bright-eyed apprentice on Christophsis as she became embarassed.

"You seem to forget that he is no Jedi either," Obi-Wan countered. "No master is ever truly ready for an apprentice. When I took on Anakin, my master had just been slain. When he took you on, he wasn't so ready himself, was he?"

The ghost of a smile appeared on her face. "No."

"Being someone's teacher is more than just teaching them. In some ways, it is more of a learning experience for the master than the apprentice. It will better you."

Luke considered all of this. "Not that I'm not excited to work with my dad's apprentice, but, Ben, does this mean you'd be leaving us?"

"Yeah. Where are you going, Obi-Wan?"

"Nowhere, my young friends. I'm just getting too old to prance around the galaxy crusading against the Empire," he said cheekily. "Besides, both Anakin and I trained apprentices- it wouldn't be fair of me to hog the only Padawan in the Galaxy."

"Fair enough," Ahsoka said, smiling in turn. "Okay, I'll do it. That is, if you'll allow me to train you, Luke Skywalker."

After a moment of consideration, he nodded his head.

"Alright, Skyguy. First lesson? Don't fiddle with your lightsaber when you're nervous. You're not going to be inconspicuous when everyone with a sharp eye thinks you've got a blaster at your hip."

THEED ROYAL PALACE, NABOO

"Naboo is a very beautiful planet," Leia mused, breaking the silence.

Vader concurred, running his hand along a stone rail. It wasn't just the rolling hills, somehow lush swamps, and cascading waterfalls. Even a city on Naboo, which on any other planet would be a crowded scum filled hive, was gorgeous. The people of Naboo were a rarity. Almost every citizen cared about the wellbeing of every other, and their democracy thrived, on the surface at least. Being the Emperor's home planet, it was heavily monitored, which made him glad his daughter couldn't see the strings attached.

"Simply breathtaking."

"I was unaware you were such a tourist," Vader teased.

She whipped around, pointing at her father with her shuura ice cream. "I am not a tourist. By law, I qualify for citizenship here!"

"By Imperial law, you qualify for citizenship on all planets under our control. Finish your treat. I have a new lead on Kenobi," he said, thoroughly changing the subject.

Leia sighed. "We just visited mother's grave an hour ago, and you're already seeking to leave? Is it really such a tragedy if he gets a day further from you?"

He felt like losing himself in his work. "Yes, it is the most heartbreaking tragedy imaginable," he sarcastically droned. "I was fortunate to receive a lead on his location months after our last encounter, let alone a decade."

"Well the last two times you fought him, you lost. What makes you think the next time will be any different?" Leia said after a pause.

The cyborg scoffed. "You are forgetting that… I- Kenobi- No one..."

Leia looked at him expectantly. "I never thought I'd be telling you this, but you're not ready. What if he drops something bigger on you?"

Vader clenched his fist, reminded of his most recent defeat. "That business on Tatooine was not a true battle. If that coward had not endangered you, I would have repaid Mustafar tenfold!"

When Leia shoved off his cold, he came to his senses. She shouldn't be so used to this.

"No… I apologize for my outburst. I acted childishly. Kenobi can wait," he said softly. He spoke again when she didn't. "We haven't met your mother's family."

Family was the reason they were here. Both his mother's journal and his step-family's homestead at large made him realize he was keeping many opportunities from his daughter.

She appreciated the situation, clearly aware of the power she possessed. "Well, they can wait. I can wait. You passed the test, so I'll allow you a reward."

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"Maybe the third time's the charm," she said teasingly, flashing a smirk.

He poked his finger in her direction, unable to find a witty retort. Vader's communicator signaled him of an incoming transmission just as they felt the presence of his Master.

TWILIGHT II, HYPERSPACE

Space was timeless, but the inhabitants of the Twilight II agreed unanimously it was nighttime. Luke and the Larses fast asleep, and the two veterans sat in the cockpit, eager to voice their private thoughts. The eagerness was mostly delegated to Tano, however.

"Thanks for dropping an apprenticeship on me, Obi-Wan," she said, voice full of sarcastic excitement. He smiled at that.

"I wouldn't have done that if I didn't believe it to be right. You and Luke suit each other far better than I could have hoped for. I'm not worthy to train another apprentice."

She dared not ask why, and for that he was thankful. "You've been training him for half a year now? And he's this good? Was Anakin like him?" Ahsoka asked exasperatedly. She herself was considered a prodigy.

Obi-Wan took no time to consider it. "Anakin was a fast learner as well, but for every skill he learned, so did his arrogance increase. Luke is more open to be humbled by his failures than his father. He frequently doubts himself."

"Don't worry: I won't butter him up."

They shared a laugh before she spoke again. "I'm not a Jedi, Obi-Wan. Not anymore."

He felt a tinge of pain in his heart. "No one truly is, anymore. You are the best possible teacher for him, Ahsoka. You have been wronged by the Jedi and yet uphold their ideals so well."

"I said I'd do it," she said.

Kenobi broke the following silence. "So who leads this crusade against the Empire we are going so valiantly to join?"

"A few senators and other politicians are the faces. We recruited some militia commanders too, and I spearhead the intelligence division. It's my job to follow leads regarding allies, friendly cells, and well, surviving Jedi," she explained. "We're pretty far reaching for such a ragtag gang of misfits. Cham Syndulla and the Free Ryloth Movement took down the Emperor's Star Destroyer while he was in orbit a few years ago, and we haven't ever met them."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, as he often did. "Impressive."

"You look surprised. Have a little faith, Kenobi."

A question burned at the forefront of his mind. "Is Bail Organa part of this rebellion by any chance?"

Ahsoka raised a brow. "What rock have you been living under?"

"Tatooine," he quipped.

She rolled her eyes. "The Empire killed him almost ten years ago. He was an open opponent, so they made an example of him."

"What of his family?"

"Them too."

Not good. Obi-Wan tried his hardest to soothe himself with the force.

"What's wrong? Were you close or something? You look like you saw a Starweird."

"Bail Organa assisted me in escaping Order 66. I was simply taken by surprise, is all. I was hoping to thank him…"

That news didn't bode well. It was unlikely Organa's daughter was actually dead. Vader surely possessed Leia, he realized, and it was most likely too late to save her from the dark. For now, he decided he would wait to encounter Skywalker's daughter and put all his effort into training Luke in the meantime. He didn't sense nearly the same potential in her all those years ago, and he wondered why he sensed nothing if Vader had found her.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan met glances, and when she smiled, he did so in turn, hiding the knowledge he was cursed with.

THEED ROYAL PALACE, NABOO

Her father went through the procedural warnings she always received before they met with the Emperor. Leia was so used to them, she didn't pay any attention. She was too distracted by the quiet storm brewing on the planet. At least her father's presence was blunt. It suffocated you with no tricks, no games. Palpatine's slowly crept into one's every pore, as invasively as possible.

They entered the Royal Palace's main chamber, and she had no patience to admire the artwork they'd seen before. All of her distractions went away when the Emperor flashed both his burning yellow eyes and a decayed smile their way.

"Ah, Leia, Lord Vader, how good it is to see you both," he said, standing up from the elaborate throne. Naboo's Queen stood nearby, internally panicking. The Red Guards almost telekinetically moved in sync with him, making way.

"My Master," her father said, kneeling.

She offered a simple bow, not wanting to be reminded by Palpatine yet again that such formalities were unnecessary. He had to realize such gestures provided the opposite effect, and only continued to give them to make her uneasy. Of course, he had to know that she knew that too, and at that point she decided to stop thinking about it.

"Rise," he offered before turning to his guards. "Leave us," he commanded sharply. "You as well," he told the Queen shortly after.

The guards slowly exited, and Naboo's monarch couldn't have moved any more quickly. It was a small power move to make a Queen leave her own throne room, but effective. Leia had the idea something serious was happening.

"What is thy bidding?" Vader asked.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with yet," Sidious smiled amicably. "Tell me: How are your studies coming along?"

Leia resisted cocking an eyebrow. "I'm several years ahead of my peers, except in mathematics," she reported, feeling a little bit proud of herself.

"No," Palpatine began, and a chill ran down her spine for seemingly no reason. "I am referring to your studies in the Force."

"As per your instructions, I have taught her nothing," Father said, interjecting.

"I know this. You would do nothing to jeopardize her," His wrinkles shifted into a macabre smirk. "I, in that case, must be referring to your personal studies, Leia. Even the most untrained Force-sensitive craves knowledge of the power they possess."

"Then I suppose I know as much as the average force adept," she countered.

He gave her a nod. "That changes today. The Empire is in need of your innate talent. It must not be stagnated. I permit you to begin training under your father," he declared.

Leia was sure she looked visibly confused. She glanced to her father for advice, but he seemed equally puzzled. "I'm flattered, but…"

"You wish to decline this offer? Live vulnerably with the rest of the populace?"

Vader stood taciturnly. She wished he would say something, but he probably had good reason.

"What about the Rule of Two?" she asked.

Sidious chuckled. "It seems your father has taught you more than nothing. That will only speed things along," he segued. "Lower roles have always existed since the time of Bane. The Inquisitors are a living example. But, you, Leia? You will be below a Sith Lord, and far above the Inquisitorius. You will be my Hand, eventually third in command to the entire Empire."

That sounded a lot more comfortable than being forced to kill her father. "What changes?"

"Your skillset, as long as your loyalty continues," he answered casually. "You are a shining example of the Empire's youth."

She pursed her lips. "Do I get a fortress too?"

Sidious laughed heartily. "You were entitled to your every desire far before this summons. What is it you desire? Here, perhaps?" he asked, patting the throne. "At your request, I can dissolve the local government."

The thought of that much power frightened her. She slowly shook her head. "No. I have no suitable place in mind."

"Dwell on it, then," he said absentmindedly. "Your answer? Can I count on you, my young friend?"

Leia averted her eyes before looking to Sidious. Vader sent encouraging thoughts through the Force. It wasn't as if she had a choice. "I accept."