8 BBY

THEED, NABOO

Numbness. That was most of what Vader felt other than confused. What was left of his extremities began to tingle. Even as Commodex spilled out of his seat to the floor, and even as everything remotely fragile in the vicinity splintered, he remained strangely serene. Not calm, though- just still. He suddenly wasn't getting enough air for comfort, and his respirator was quickening to compensate for his mild case of hyperventilation.

He took a few moments to analyze the man's slip. Surely… Surely he had misspoken. Or- his audioreceptors were malfunctioning.

Twins.

Commodex gasped for air when Vader was cognitive enough to release him. "No, no, I didn't-"

The servos in Vader's hands creaked and whined as he clenched his trembling fist harder than was probably recommended. "There is another?"

He coughed in protest against the immense pressure on his lungs. "I don't-" he spluttered.

"Don't lie to me," he spat, not even checking the man's intentions with the Force. It felt as natural as it did foreign.

"Twins- that's all I remember. She was too big for just one premature baby! It was pertinent to making her look pregnant- a- and- and the information was destroyed!" he said in a tizzy, taking deep, gasping breaths and clutching his chest. "It had to be twins!"

Vader's mechanical legs went to jelly. He crashed down onto the sofa across from Tahn. "You are certain there was another?" he said hollowly. Vader knew it to be true in his heart, but his anxieties wouldn't allow him to fully accept it.

"Yes! Yes!"

It was like he was a passenger in his own body and only his thoughts were his own. He felt lightheaded and detached from reality. "Where- is this child?"

"I swear to all of the higher powers in this universe, I have no idea! I only know there had to be two!" he cried.

The doubt in his mind had all but crumbled away. Dread filled the pit of Vader's stomach as he briefly thought of how wide his search would be.

Vader's grip slackened, sending Tahn to the floor as his body attempted to return to normal. "Who gave you the task?"

"I don't know exactly…" he moaned. "I promise. It was an anonymous commission by a friend of hers- and she had many."

True enough. Padmé was sociable, even for a senator. Those who weren't her opposition practically worshiped her. She was more than worthy of their praise, but now there was no more to offer. He had destroyed her along with himself years ago.

"How may I start a further search?" he said absentmindedly. He could probably figure it out with enough time, but there was too much on his mind. It practically pained him to focus. He had splintered and destroyed his own family. His own happiness.

The broken men stared at one another. A fire ignited in Commodex's eyes, and Vader knew some tired and worn-out speech was to come. "I won't-"

Vader's patience, which was currently as thin as the breaths of the pathetic man before him, snapped. The defiance sent him into a rage and onto his feet. Vader brought Tahn's body to his left hand with the Force, drawing the air out of his diaphragm with his right. Commodex clawed at his hand's mechanical grip as he dug his fingers into the man's increasingly-purple neck. His eyes bulged and reddened as the blood vessels within burst. Vader trembled with rage.

"My patience is through!" He spat. His chest was aflame with frustration. "If you are not informed, then who or what is?!"

He wrenched the man forward, sending him to crash through a display cabinet. Vader closed the distance, turning his head down toward the man at his boots.

Vader had enough sense to let him catch his breath, but not too much. He was itching to reach for his lightsaber and unleash his ire. Commodex Tahn took a frantic moment to study him- his armor- when he unfolded himself from his pile. "M- Medical waste! If there was anything left in her from the facility that treated her, it's sure to be traceable! Even that life support suit you're wearing has serial numbers!"

Vader was satisfied for now- there was no question he considered that wouldn't result in something he'd heard already. He stood above the man, reaching out toward a nearby blaster mounted on the wall. He armed it, thanking his lucky stars it was a Clone War model he was familiar with. The color in Tahn's face drained save for his bruises. "Where are your valuables?"

"You're going to make it look like I was robbed?" he asked in a gasp.

"Your injuries would not support a suicide," he said impatiently. Although it was an uncivilized method, he had enough sense to at least attempt to absolve himself. "There are far worse men in the Galaxy than I."

Tahn let out a long sigh. "There's a safe in the bedroom. Just, please don't hurt anyone else… I beg you."

"Very well. Do you believe in the Force?" he asked.

He nodded a few times. "Yes."

"Make your peace with it now," he said. He waited for Tahn to whisper to himself before pulling the DC-15's trigger. The man slumped to the floor, a smoking hole in his chest

Vader unleashed his fury for a moment, upturning everything not fastened down. He threw the blaster at the dead man's feet, making way to the bedroom. He ripped everything from the walls as he went, busting open the safe with the Force. Vader crushed the pistol within, taking the heirlooms and jewelry for himself.

The door flew out into the yard with little prompting from him. He tossed the spoils of his false robbery into the nearby canal.

When he'd reached the street from the outside of the courtyard he crumbled to the curb, hands over his knees as he attempted to figure it all out. Assuming the man was telling the truth… But Vader was certain it was no slip of the tongue. Unfortunately, he had no leads. No name. No location. Not even the sex of the child. Not one speck of information other than the fact there was another. The clouds overheard rumbled, lit by occasional flashes of distant lightning.

"I heard the commotion. Did you kill him?" Sabé asked coldly. He hadn't noticed her approach. That was unbecoming of a Sith Lord. "His insight must have been worth it."

"Tahn was a liability. I was able to easily… coerce him. The Empire would have been able to learn what we know. He knew of the existence of Amidala's… child," he said. It sounded foreign to him. "As you predicted."

"And the cause of death? Were you able to narrow it down?"

"No, but I have a lead," he said. It mattered little. At the end of the day, he was responsible in even the most minuscule way. Their life and happiness was jeopardized and stolen away by him. Something icy crept into his chest.

"Then we got what we came for," she said. "Where next?"

He couldn't agree more. There was simply too much on the table to worry over what he could not know. What he was certain of was that losing control wouldn't help now. Vader stood unsurely. "Her tomb. Once I uncover what I want from there, we will part ways."

"What are you hoping to find?" she asked carefully.

"Evidence," he said quickly. Vader was in no mind to be treading carefully.

"Now, Vader-"

He raised a hand, not in the mood for an argument. "You are already too involved. A liability…" he said slowly.

"You think I don't know that? You think we're all unaware of the massive commitment we've made?" she roared, unwavering in the face of his threat.

He stewed in the following silence. Her defiance… Vader couldn't look at her. "It is not your life that I am concerned about, handmaiden. Your very thoughts can be made to work against you."

Sabé narrowed her eyes. "So, are you going to kill me too?"

He glared at her, and she flinched despite not being able to see his eyes. "If necessary. No one will endanger my daughter. You are no stranger to such devotion."

But it was a lie.

He couldn't watch that face die again.

They stared at one another in silent and solemn agreement until his comlink began to chime. He fumbled for it, answering it as soon as he could. "Leia," he said breathily.

"-What's wrong? I need to make sure you're okay!" she cried. It was relieving to hear her.

Of course, his knee-jerk reaction was to tell her of what troubled him, but that was his burden to bear. "...I am quite alright. Why are you awake? It's the middle of the night locally."

"I couldn't sleep- I felt something," she said. "That you were in trouble. It wasn't a good feeling."

He raised a hand to his helmet's brow. If she had felt it, no doubt many others had too, including his Master… He'd been too careless in his grief- especially if this second child was to remain untainted. "It is nothing you need concern yourself with. I have received some… rather surprising information."

"What-"

"Leia, now is not the time. Please… I will spare no detail as soon as there is something to tell. Trust in the Force, and trust that I will uncover this plot."

"What plot?"

That was right- it was just a security threat to her. He had to pull himself together, lest everything fall apart. Too much had slipped, and the anxiety was beginning to build. "Cease your probing. I suggest that you sleep. Rest assured that this is no concern of yours."

"Okay... Stay safe. I want to talk to you when you get back," she said. She hesitated. Obviously she wanted to say more. He only hoped that he wasn't driving a wedge between them as he had done with Obi-Wan so many years ago.

Though he resented the man, he yearned for the comfort of friends to rely upon. Leia was all he had as of now.

"You have permission to entertain your friends at the apartment should you require further… distraction," he mused. "Your connection to the Force allows you greater vision than most. I fear… more of these incidents occurring in the near future."

"Alright, dad."

Vader cut the connection when he realized that there was another who could be concerned about him- calling him father. "Hnnn…" was the sound that escaped him as he clenched his fist.

"So that was her?"

"You are observant," Vader said sarcastically. "Forget what you have heard."

"Sure," she said dismissively.

"Lead the way," he growled.

TOMB OF PADMÉ AMIDALA, NABOO

It was just as dark inside as the last time he was here. Darker, even, given the circumstances. Lightning from the outside storm was just beginning to pick up it's pace. Flashes illuminated the area rather than just the sky. It was as if the planet were as conflicted as he was.

He resisted tracing the carvings on her coffin. Vader glanced at the wall to compose himself just as thunder crashed, lightning not far behind. A glass display case he was unaware of reflected the flash toward him. Shock overcame him as he realized what was within.

Without a second thought he shattered the glass with the Force, calling his wife's japor snippet to his hand from its resting place on a decorative pillow. He was dumbfounded as to how he hadn't noticed it on previous trips.

He ran a thumb over it, uncaring of Sabé's protests. Vader was once more haunted by brief visions of the past.

"It's beautiful… But I don't need this to remember you by…" he remembered Her saying.

"Now, explain what part of your plan is dependent on desecrating a grave?" she asked.

"It was I who gave it to her… It's a Tatooinian fortune charm. It doesn't deserve to lay here in disuse. Luck means nothing to the dead," he said.

She grimaced. "You dragged us all the way out here for a piece of jewelry? I admire the commitment to your daughter, but-"

Vader waved a hand, and the coffin's lid slid off slightly. He stopped when flashes of what her decayed beauty could now resemble came to him Intermixed with the last expression he'd seen on her face. Instead, he turned his back, holding a scanner out to Sabé.

Pity was sent his way.

"What am I scanning for?" She asked coldly, swiping it from him.

"It's already set to my parameters," he said.

Sabé scoffed, taking the handheld device into the coffin proper. Soon, a notification appeared on his heads-up display in the form of a medical implant, serial number and all. He committed it to memory before stealing back the device, crushing it in his hand.

She slid the lid back on. "So you got what you came for, I take it?"

"No, but it is a start," he said. Something came over him. "Our cooperation is finished."

They stood at odds for a few beats, both unrelenting. Eventually though, she broke eye contact and made for the exit.

"Fine. I'll go," she said. He was glad she had picked up on his need to be alone. "What's... her name, again?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Leia," he said, as if it was the first time he had said it. "I am told that naming her was among Padmé's final acts."

"It's a fine name. Should you ever require help protecting her…"

"I will seek you out," he lied.

Sabé nodded, leaving slowly. Vader lingered for a few more moments to unleash his sorrow and pay his respects.

POLIS MASSA BASE, POLIS MASSA

Polis Massa. That was where the implant originated from, and that was where he found himself soon. It was a research facility far in the Outer Rim composed of several habitable asteroids. The base wasn't abandoned, but it was thoroughly destroyed. Corpses of Kallidahns and various aliens in field gear were strewn about the place. His frustration mounted as he realized Imperial Forces had been the ones to wipe them out. Perhaps he had even approved the order himself.

The thought frightened him.

The doors to the spaceport crumpled before him. He strode into the control tower, booting up a fried computer there to answer his questions. The occasional flickering of the display indicated to him the computer had probably barely survived the attack.

Vader gently hit the monitor at an odd angle, and soon the image was stable. He went about searches for arrival and departures around eleven years back. Thankfully, the station had little in the way of visitors, so he was able to deduce he'd found the right log as soon as a hologram of a J-type Nubian Star Skiff came up.

Sure enough, an Obi-Wan Kenobi had come here with an injured Padmé Amidala and two droids. His rage brought him back to when Kenobi had strutted down the landing ramp of that ship on Mustafar before him and Padmé.

He attempted to access patient records to no avail. Although that displeased him, it made sense. The medcenter was across the way.

His lightsaber hissed to life, slicing through the computer's memory banks. Afterwards, he strolled to the blasted out medcenter, taking his sweet time.

He was fearful of what he'd find. If the records were particularly extensive...

Vader let his instincts guide him until he found himself in the maternity ward. A certain room caught his attention. Although he knew why he was drawn there, he could not explain how. Slowly, he walked into the room, laying a hand on the examination table.

The Force suggested this was the place. He opened an access panel to restore power to the computers that may contain patient logs. If he was lucky, security footage. Nothing happened no matter what he tried- it was fried. The core was destroyed, most likely in the attack that had depopulated this facility.

Vader's anger swelled. He brought his fist down on the table. It gave way for his mechnohand, though the prosthetics had not escaped unscathed. His little finger in particular was sticking, as the chassis was busy crushing the internals.

As he observed the creaking fruits of his hubris, something beyond his vision caught his eye. It was a medical droid of some kind. Badly damaged or not, the memory bank was more or less intact. Vader kneeled down, fiddling with restoring enough power to project its last active moments. He didn't think many births would be occurring here for the midwife droid to witness.

A hologram flickered to life before him. Padmé lay on the table behind him, and she was fading fast. His heart fell past his boots.

"Obi-Wan…" she muttered weakly. She was dying. "There's still good in him… I know… I know there's… still…"

She went still. Vader gave the droid a tap, thinking it had paused. A second tap caused a pit in his stomach. The recording soon flickered away, leaving him with the realization he had watched his wife's final moments.

As much as he didn't want to, he had to see it again. However, the droid went dark. He tried once more to summon the recording to no results. Vader seethed, tearing the head from the droid.

"No!" he roared into the dead air.

His anger was soon replaced with grief. Grief that she was gone. Grief that she may be right, that there was Light in him yet. But it was more than futile. It was too late to turn away from his path. He'd committed far too much to Sidious, and committed too many unspeakable acts to be accepted back to the Light.

The Light wouldn't allow him to protect Leia.

He was a broken shadow of his former self, and it stung to know how avoidable this path was. Hindsight seemed to be his second greatest enemy, himself being the first.

And then he remembered his objective. There was no mention of any child from her, not even Leia.

"Bah!" he exclaimed, putting his fist through a terminal.

He'd come away empty- in both senses of the word.

GALACTIC YOUTH ACADEMY, CORUSCANT

Leia had been delighted when she felt her father had returned to Coruscant, but that all disappeared when the school day was over. Captain Natha was nowhere to be seen- not even Artoo. Several of the Imperial Red Guard were waiting for her, escorting her to a shuttle and informing her that the Emperor required her presence.

That certainly would be fun to explain to her classmates the next day. They were already whispering behind her.

Leia never did like dealing with the Royal Guard. Undoubtedly they wouldn't harm her- they had no reason to- but their presences were off. There was always something to remind her that they were unflinchingly loyal to the Emperor first and foremost. They wouldn't even chance small talk unless instructed to, and Leia did value mindless chatter in an uncomfortable vacuum. Not even a glance was spared in her direction.

She arrived at the palace with uncertainty. Something was fishy about the situation, and her gut suggested faking illness or something similar to avoid the situation. Her stomach was certainly churning. They nevertheless ushered her into the throne room.

Palpatine sat as he always did, commanding the attention of the entire room from his throne.

"Ah, Leia, my dear. I apologize for the short notice, but I wish you present to learn the lesson I am to teach my apprentice today."

She tentatively looked toward her father, who stood at the foot of the dais with his head down.

"Lord Vader, your business concerning your late wife," he said, and Leia perked up. "Is it finished?"

"Yes, Master," her father said. He was lying. Something stirred within him. He didn't seem himself at all, like he was ill or something. His presence was fuzzier and uncertain when she examined it closely. But- her father had never been sick in all her years. She didn't think it was possible with how sealed-off he was to the Galaxy from his armor.

Sidious stood up. "Really?" he asked with a dismissive chuckle. His glowing gaze turned to her in an instant. "Leia, tell me: what do you know of fear?"

Her father's focus seemed to return.

Leia raised a brow and craned her neck. "The Sith interpretation is that it leads to anger, which leads to hate, which leads to strength."

"Ah, so you can recite the words of the Code. However, it seems both you and your father are presently ignorant of it in practice," he said, and Leia's stomach sank. "Perhaps I have allowed you too much leeway, my friend. Your hate has led to nothing but grief as of late… Your feelings for your child's mother are consuming you. You are wallowing in it even to this moment…"

"Can that not lead to the Dark Side?" Leia asked slowly.

"To lead to and to channel are entirely separate matters, dear Leia," he said. "It is time your father begins anew. With fear…" he said, his fingertips arcing with lightning.

Vader raised his head, and Leia flinched.

Sidious' Force Lightning crackled over her father's body, to no effect. Sidious was pleasantly surprised but terrifyingly enough disappointed in some way. "So you have grounded your armor? I am glad to see you are not so far gone as to forego defending yourself…"

"Yes, Master," he said, kneeling to the Sith. "I thought it wise to eliminate such a weakness in myself."

Sidious raised his left hand, and her father's head perked up. The hiss of his respirator ceased, replaced by a mechanical hitching as his life support tried and failed to give him air.

"Perhaps in yourself, but it remains a weakness. Unfortunate," Sidious said. Everything screamed danger to Leia as his right hand crackled with conjured electricity. "One that will strengthen you…"

Her father attempted to spring to action but was jerked back and off the ground. His respirator groaned as a metallic squeaking sound filled the air.

Then came the crack.

The energy was released in her direction and she dropped to the ground, shielding her head. The lightning raced around her, finding its home in the wall. Her heart pounded as if she had been hit, but she was still in one non-crispy piece. At least that she could tell.

Metal ground against metal as the filtered sound of breath being torn from a body filled the air.

Her father stood and threw his hands outward, shaking free of Sidious' grip. He ignited his lightsaber and she could merely watch. The Sith Master cackled as her father moved to block her from any further attack.

Even though her every instinct called for her to flee, as her heart pounded, she could not move. Fear consumed her.

"Goooood," Sidious said, stretching, relishing in the pronunciation.

"Why?" Her father roared, his chest heaving. His body sparked occasionally, a sure sign that his mechanical parts had been damaged. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"You had forgotten your strength…" Sidious said slowly. "Your hatred… I do not wish to refresh you again, Lord Vader, but I will. As many times as it takes. Although I suspect after today your resolve will remain true… You are a mighty Sith, my old friend. Do not do the name injustice…"

Leia couldn't keep her breathing regular. She looked into her father's obscured eyes as pathetically as she could in order to emphasize how strongly she wished she wasn't there.

"Yes… Master," her father growled, lowering his head and extinguishing his saber. Intense and stifling hatred emitted from him in all directions. The Dark Side had been rekindled within her father.

"Now, it is time for your next task. No doubt you are aware that multiple Jedi who were known associates of Anakin Skywalker have crawled out of their hiding places," he said.

She fumed wordlessly. How they could go from almost killing each other- killing her- to business as usual was beyond her. Her trembling prevented her from doing anything but biting her tongue. Leia could barely consider she might let something important slip.

Leia and Vader knew this was hardly the time for a confrontation. That- and the fact that her throat refused to produce sound and her knees were made of gelatin.

"I have felt it," her father said through grit teeth. She could tell due to the breathy quality of his vocoded words.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano- should you encounter them, take care to not kill them unless necessary," Sidious said.

Her father looked at the Emperor, and she could feel his rage turning to slight confusion. Even she could admit to calming down a smidge. She tried to keep her thoughts as blank as possible. Focusing on her outrage at the situation helped, she thought.

Sidious raised a hand. "They are symbols of a bygone age- surviving Jedi will rally behind them. We will allow them to consolidate. To become complacent at their perceived notion of hope... And when they have gathered, it will be their undoing, just as it was at the Temple."

"And the Inquisitorius?" Vader asked.

Sidious waved away his concerns. "They are to continue operating as usual. I doubt even the Grand Inquisitor could best Skywalker's apprentice… What meager prey they are unable to seize will fall to your judgement."

Her father glanced at her. "And what of the children they delude into becoming Jedi?"

The Emperor raised a brow, staring daggers at Leia. "We possess strong candidates for the next generation already. They will join us or die, like the rest."

"As you wish, Master," he said stiffly. He turned his back on the Emperor, beckoning for Leia to follow.

She bent over to rest on her knees when she heard the telltale hiss of the door behind him. Her father stood in front of her to catch her if she fell. He looked like he would fall apart at any moment himself. His life support suit was severely damaged upon closer examination. His chest box had exposed wiring, and his breath hitched often.

"I have warned you time and time again," he said sternly, nevertheless taking her carefully by the shoulders.

"I know!" she screamed shrilly. That came out far louder than intended. She immediately regretted such an action, but the embarrassment was hidden by the frantic flush on her face.

"Lower your voice! I am not intending to belittle you- Are you alright?"

"I know!" she exclaimed. "I've been… not good recently."

Her father paused, gently turning her face up to his. He embraced her gingerly, ensuring he was doing her no harm. "You were off before the Emperor threatened you. What happened to disturb you so?"

She shook her head dismissively, pulling back. "I keep having… visions in the apartment."

He hung his head low, as he often did when measuring his response. "I apologize for my carelessness. I have often found myself… shortsighted… when it comes to the safety of a loved one. Why didn't you contact me? You can always do so."

She avoided eye contact with his faceplate. "You were busy. I didn't want to worry you…"

"Impossible," her father said absolutely. "I will never not worry about your wellbeing."

Leia nodded slowly in acknowledgment, his mentioning of shortsightedness at the forefront of her mind. "What were you even doing for so long?"

Vader took a few deep breaths, offering a hand to her. Her anxiety built. "We shall discuss it back at the apartment."

That meant it was serious. She quelled any thoughts she had of pressing further for the time being. Her adrenaline was beginning to return to normal levels, and terror kept her silent.

Leia made a sound of acknowledgment before they separated in order to leave.