14 BBY
Imperial Star Destroyer Vengeance
Darth Vader stood with his arms folded on the bridge of the star destroyer Vengeance, staring down on the planet Alderaan. He was dressed in all black Sith robes and matching black battle armor with his hood down. He also had black mask covering the lower half of his face to hide the scarring from Mustafar. He still wore his hair long though it was pulled back into a ponytail. The Emperor had pulled him from his five year mission of hunting down the Jedi because he had felt a disturbance in the force centered around the planet below. As he stood there thinking about all the Jedi had done to him his eyes burned a deep yellow and red.
He stretched out with the force trying to sense the disturbance. He felt the billions of lives that called the planet home rushing back and forth. He could not however, locate the source of the disturbance. He knew it was there though. The emperor would never send him on a fool's errand. It had to be a Jedi, there was no other a reason such a large disturbance to have occurred. Turning Vader turned and walked to the captain of the ship.
As soon the captain noticed the dark lords approach Vader began giving orders. "Captain Needa, inform the planetary authorities that we are enforcing an imperial blockade. No ships are to land or leave until further notice. Any trying to do so will be confiscated and all occupants sent to the spice mines of Kessel. Is that understood?"
"Yes my lord" the captain responded before turning to his bridge crew and issuing orders. When he was finished he returned to Lord Vader to await any further instructions.
"Inform the royal family to expect my arrival soon. If there is a Jedi on Alderaan I do not believe they could be hiding without the full knowledge or support of the Organas "Vader said before he turned away and walked off the bridge with his cloak trailing behind him. He fully expected his orders to be carried out. His crew knew the consequences of failure.
Alderaan
Bail Organa stood on the balcony of the royal palace with his wife, Queen Breha, and their two adopted daughters Leia and Winter who were both 5 standard years. The Viceroy was addressing the crowd gathered below as well as people on the holonet all across the planet.
"I do not know why The Empire is blockading Alderaan. However, I trust the Empires sudden blockade here is not a malicious act." he told the crowd even as his own words sounded hollow in his ears. "Please, just remain calm and go about your lives as normal. If the blockade prohibits you from conducting your normal day to day business, please file a grievance with the royal palace stating any losses in incurred and we will do our best to see that you are compensated. But please do not try to leave the planet under any circumstances until the blockade has been lifted for your own safety."
Bail and his family turned to leave the balcony as a stunned crowd just watched on. As they entered the palace a young aid walked up and informed Bail of Darth Vader's impending arrival.
"My lord, Darth Vader wishes to inform you that you are to make yourself available as soon as he arrives." The aid spoke.
"Very well, I will receive him on the landing pad and then we will move to my private office overlooking the lake" Bail instructed the aid.
"Very good sir" the aid replied before leaving.
He waited until the aid had left before turning to Breha and the girls. "Ladies, I believe it would be prudent if you made yourself scarce during Darth Vader's visit" he said shooting a glance to his wife who fully understood the reason they needed to disappear during the dark lords visit.
"Do you think he knows?" Queen Breha asked her husband glancing down at the girls and Leia especially.
"Knows what mother?" Winter asked the queen.
"My dear, I do not believe now is the time to discuss this. Take the girls upstairs while I go await Lord Vader's arrival" Bail told the queen.
"Yes my dear" she said before to the girls "come along ladies let's move along to the upstairs library and look at the latest fashions on imperial center" she told the girls as she tried to hurry them along.
"Oh, I wonder what the ladies of the Imperial Court are wearing these days" Winter said
"Yuck dresses, can't we just read about the clone wars? I want to read about The Negotiator, Obi-Wan Kenobi" Leia pleaded her mom. She had never been one for dresses but she did like politics and history.
Bail watched as his wife took the girls to the nearest turbolift and made his way to the landing pad. He hoped Breha wouldn't let Leia read about The Negotiator. The Jedi had been outlawed and hunted down over the last five years by Darth Vader. Never mind the fact that Vader had once been the greatest hero amongst the Jedi, then known as Anakin Skywalker. A fact that anyone who valued breathing would never bring up.
After the alleged Jedi rebellion, the newly crowned emperor had outlawed the Jedi and ordered them hunted down. Later he told the Senate that only one Jedi had remained loyal to him and that he had been gravely injured for his trouble. He said the Jedi had renounced his Jedi title and even his name as it was so closely associated with the Jedi. With that announcement the man formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear, became known throughout the galaxy as Darth Vader. The lower half of his face now covered by a mask and dressed in black battle armor and dark robes he went from being a hero to the galaxy to being a bogey man parents used to make their kids behave.
Imperial Star Destroyer Vengeance
Darth Vader was making his way to his personal shuttle bay when his comlink chirped to life
"Lord Vader, the Emperor wants you to make contact before heading to the surface" his personal aide de camp Major Jerun Redstar I formed him.
"Understood major" Vader replied continuing along his way to the shuttle bay. Luckily he had the foresight to install several extra holoprojectors on the ship near any areas he happened to frequent so his master would never have to wait long for him to respond. His personal shuttle bay being one of them. As he neared the shuttle bay he turned into a small room just big enough to hold the pad for the holoprojector and the image received from the other end. Walking up to the pad he knelt and waited until it lit up signifying that it was activated. Soon the image of Darth Sidious, known to most of the galaxy as Emperor Palpatine, filled the space of Vader's overhead.
"What is thy bidding my master?" Vader asked in a deep mechanical baritone while looking at the floor.
"I have perceived the disturbance to be a Jedi, no doubt harbored by the royal family. However, this causes a problem in the fact that we cannot order the deaths of such public figures" the shimmering hologram spoke. "Therefore you must destroy the Jedi and find a way to punish Bail Organa without killing him. Doing so would only stoke the fires of the this growing rebellion and give them a symbol to rally around"
Vader still looking at the floor responded "and what of the queen?"
"Queen Breha's punishment will be to know that her husband suffers for her crimes as well. Now go my apprentice and do what must be done." Sidious commanded
Vader's response was not heard by the Emperor as his image faded as the connection was broken. "Yes master.
Vader rose and exited the room into the hallway where Major Redstar was waiting for orders.
"My Lord, what are your orders?" The major inquired
"Have a company of the 501st meet me on the surface major. The emperor believes, and I agree, that royal family is harboring a Jedi. Bail Organa is to be arrested but not to be harmed. The Emperor does not wish to make a martyr out of the man. Make sure the commander knows all blasters are to be set to stun" Vader commanded before entering the shuttle bay and heading towards his personal craft. He knew he didn't have to worry about the major making mistakes. The man had been his aide for three years and had survived longer than his seven predecessors combined. Failure was not a word the major understood.
Alderaan
Bail Organa stood on the landing platform watching Darth Vader's shuttle approach with two of his aides and the head of his palace security team. This morning three Star Destroyers had dropped out of hyperspace unannounced and immediately blockaded the planet. No one on, no one off was the imperial decree. To say he was a bit apprehensive would be an understatement. Though officially he did not know the reason for the blockade, privately he had an idea. When he had brought Leia home five years ago he had told his wife the truth of her origins. That she was the daughter of Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker. When Obi-Wan had informed he and Yoda of the twin's patronage he had been shocked. Nobody had suspected the two were secretly married let alone expecting children. Yoda had informed him how strong the children were in the force and recommended they be separated.
So Bail had taken the girl and Obi-Wan had taken the boy, Luke, though Bail could not remember the name of the planet. The last five years had been rather uneventful raising the girl. In fact, the only incident had been four days prior when she had awoken from a terrible nightmare screaming. Everything made of glass in her room and the two rooms next to it had been shattered. His greatest fear over the last five years was that Vader would someday come for his daughter. That was his secret concern for the unexpected arrival. He suspected the two incidents might be related, though only time would tell if he was correct or not.
The imperial shuttle made its final descent and landed and as Bail and his group made their way towards the ramp was lowered. At the top of the ramp Darth Vader appeared with his face hidden deep in the black hood of his robes. Four storm troopers and an imperial officer appeared behind him as he made his way to the bottom.
"Lord Vader, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Bail inquired with a smile trying to hide the nervousness he felt.
"Don't play coy with me Viceroy, where is the Jedi?" Vader commanded as he and the imperials reached the bottom of the ramp the storm troopers proceeded to surround them with their blasters leveled.
Bail felt a lump rising in his throat, he knew what Vader meant by the Jedi even if Vader didn't. But since Vader didn't know that the person he was seeking wasn't actually a Jedi maybe there was a way out of this situation. Composing himself and hoping Vader hadn't noticed the momentary lapse in the facade he was presenting the Viceroy continued.
"Lord Vader, that is a very serious charge. The Jedi are wanted criminals and to suggest we are harboring any here on Alderaan and in the royal palace of all places is an outrage!" He said with less indignation than he actually felt.
"Very well, Organa" Vader said before turning to the Imperial lieutenant that had accompanied him "Seize them and have your men search the palace. I want all staff and residents accounted for lieutenant"
"At once Lord Vader!" The lieutenant responded as he snapped to attention.
Vader turned back to the viceroy "your thoughts betray you Viceroy, you are hiding something and I will soon discover what it is. Take them away."
The viceroy and his men were placed in stun cuffs with Bail Organa being led aboard the shuttle while his aides and the security personnel were led back into the palace as a two more shuttles landed on nearby platforms and began dispatching Stormtroopers.
Queen Breha sat in the upstairs library looking at the latest fashion holos from Imperial Center trying not to think why Darth Vader had come to her planet and her home so suddenly without any hint of warning. Winter was enthralled by the dresses the senators were wearing while Leia was fidgety and disinterested.
"Dresses are so boring, let's look up stories about the Negotiator and the Hero with No Fear" Leia pleaded as her mom and adoptive sister looked through the various images.
"Leia, you know the Jedi have been outlawed and now is not the time to be reading about them. Especially with Darth Vader in the palace" She scolded her daughter.
Leia rolled her eyes and let out a grunt as she ceded to her mother and sisters wishes. Suddenly a female aide burst in the room.
"YOUR MAJESTY, THE VICEROY HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR HARBORING JEDI!" She exclaimed as two Stormtroopers burst into the room right behind her.
The girls screamed at the sight of the white armored soldiers holding blaster rifles in their home. Winter hugged her mother while Lisa just stared at the two men.
"Madame, you and your children are to come with us. Orders of Lord Vader." One of them said pointing his blaster right at the queen.
Breha stood up and straightened her dress as she gathered her girls "Very well trooper, come along ladies let's go find out what Darth Vader has deemed so important that he needs to have his storm troopers desecrate our home" she said as she shot the storm troopers a dirty look.
Darth Vader stood on the Viceroys balcony as his troops searched the royal palace for signs of the Jedi. He stared out at the lake and was reminded of his time in the lake country on Naboo with Padme those years ago. This of course brought on memories of her betrayal because of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He still had not found the troublesome Jedi. But he was still looking and he knew one day his former master would cross his path again.
He was broken from his reverie by the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned moments before the Queen and two young girls were brought out to him by two storm troopers. These must be the adopted daughters of the Viceroy and his wife, one had pale blonde hair while the other had brown hair. There was something about her.
"Lord Vader, doe the Emperor know you're off your leash?" The queen asked noticing how much Vader was staring at Leia.
Before Vader could respond the lieutenant in command of the storm troopers appeared on the balcony.
"Lord Vader there is no sign of any Jedi having visited in the last five years. However, I'm having several key members of the staff sent to the one of the ships in orbit for further questioning" he informed the dark lord.
"Very well lieutenant, have your men continue their search for the time being" Vader said never taking his eyes off Leia.
There was something familiar about the girl he couldn't quite place. He reached out to her with the force sensing her fear and bewilderment at the sight of him. She was strong in the force; her presence was like a bright star in the center of the universe. The one he had mistaken for a Jedi and no doubt the disturbance the Emperor had felt.
"Queen Breha, who are the true parents of your daughters?" Vader asked slowly turning his head to meet the queens gaze.
The queen knew she was on very dangerous ground here. One wrong word and her world would come down around her. She may have already lost Bail if the aide was correct. She didn't want to think what would happen if she lost one or both of her daughters. Though if it was going to be just one she knew exactly the one Vader would take.
"Winter is the daughter of former senatorial aide named Sheltay Retrac" the queen replied stoically hoping Vader wouldn't notice the fact she hadn't mentioned Leia at all.
"And Princess Leia's parents?" He asked turning his gaze to the young princess once more sensing her strength in the force.
Breha had to think, this was the moment of truth. If Vader believed her answer he would leave the girl alone. If not Breha and Bails worst fear may very well be realized. It was said Vader could sense lies in people. So she decided to use as much of the truth as possible.
"The viceroy brought her home from Coruscant, I mean Imperial Center, five years ago and said she was the daughter of a fellow senator who died in childbirth. I'm not sure which senator it was" Breha informed him hoping that Vader would let the matter rest.
Vader could sense the lie as easily as he could think. The problem was he also sensed the truth meaning Queen Breha herself may not even be fully aware of the lie. Therefore, the only conclusion to him given the time frame and planetary origin of the girl was that somehow Bail Organa had managed to get one of the babies in the Jedi temple either before or after the Jedi had rebelled. Either way that told Vader all he needed to know.
"Take the girl named Leia and have her transported to my ship immediately" Vader ordered the storm troopers as Queen Breha fell to her knees pleading.
"Lord Vader please! She's my daughter no matter the circumstances of how she came to me!" She cried as one of the storm troopers grabbed Leia who was also crying out.
"A child from the Jedi temple, even one taken so young, is still a child of the Jedi. Feel fortunate that you will not share your husbands fate your majesty" Vader told her before stalking off after the two storm troopers leaving the Queen of Alderaan to her lamentations alone with her remaining daughter.