Chapter 2

Princess Leia was a brave young woman. She had become a senator at the tender age of eighteen, making her the youngest ever to hold that office. Leia Organa was an intelligent, highly accomplished young woman, with a forceful personality and a strong sense of justice. Not only was she an astute politician, Leia was also a strong advocate of the Rebel Alliance. Adopted as a young child by the viceroy of Alderaan, Bail Organa and his wife, Breha, Leia had no memory of her birth mother, Padmé Amidala, who had died shortly after giving birth to Leia and her twin brother, Luke. Bail Organa and his wife Breha had always wanted a daughter of their own, and so they adopted young Leia Amidala Skywalker, thus bestowing upon her the title of Princess, as well as the Organa name.

Until now, Leia had never experienced true fear. She had always managed to find her way out of difficult situations, her intellect and political acumen saw to that. But the situation she found herself in now was different. Now she was a prisoner, a prisoner accused of treason, which carried a sentence of death in the Empire. A prisoner of Darth Vader… No one who was a prisoner at the hands of the infamous Dark Lord ever escaped, none were ever shown mercy or clemency; indeed, Vader's reputation as an interrogator was well known throughout the galaxy. If he wanted information, he would obtain it by whatever means necessary, even if it meant torture to the point of death. And then there were the mind probes…Leia stood up and walked about in the tiny cell, trying not to let her fears get to her. Artoo won't fail me, she thought as she paced up and down. He will get my message to General Kenobi…my father will help me…everything will be alright…

Little did Princess Leia know that the star destroyer she was being held prisoner on was now approaching the Death Star. Governor Tarkin was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Darth Vader, fully expecting Vader to hand over the stolen plans to him.

As for Vader, he had other matters occupying his thoughts than the stolen plans, which surprised even him. Ever since he had met Leia Organa face to face, he had not been able to put her out of his mind. There was something there, something intangible and yet powerful, and it gave Vader an unsettled feeling the more he contemplated it. The fact that the young princess bore a striking resemblance to his beloved wife, Padmé, made it all the more unsettling. An idea was forming in his mind, one that would not be ignored.

Sitting in his hyperbaric chamber, Vader activated his computer and performed a search of the Imperial intelligence network on the Princess. The information there held little that he did not already know, namely that she was a member of the royal house of Alderaan, that she had been the youngest person to ever hold the position of senator, that she was the adopted daughter of Bail and Breha Organa….wait…adopted?

Vader had not realized that she was adopted. Digging further, he searched for the records of her adoption, only to reach a dead end. Other than the date, it gave no other information, almost as though the circumstances of her adoption were meant to be hidden. But why…unless her true parentage is too dangerous for her to know…unless someone is trying to hide her from someone…

The realization that Princess Leia Organa was almost certainly the child that his wife had been carrying when he last saw her on Mustafar began to blossom in Vader's mind, bringing with it a myriad of questions and emotions. How could the child have survived if the mother died on Mustafar? Unless she did not die…unless Palpatine lied when he said she'd died… this thought caused Vader to fill with rage.

The entire focal point of his existence had been to save his wife, the very reason he had embraced the Dark Side was to prevent her death; and yet, she had died. Or had she? If the child lived, if Leia Organa was indeed his child, then all that Vader had based his life upon these past twenty years had been a lie. A lie!

Vader sat perfectly still in his chamber, his mind a jumble of chaotic and violent emotions. The joy that the thought that Leia may be his daughter was tainted with the anger that he had been lied to. He made a vow to himself at this moment, a vow to determine the truth, and, if what he already believed were in fact the truth, to make his master pay for the lies. If she is my child, how can I possibly treat her like a prisoner? He thought in frustration. Leia was a serious enemy of the Empire, a Rebel, a traitor; but she is my child, that is all that matters now. With that thought in mind, the Dark Lord of the Sith fell into a restless sleep.

Vader hated Tarkin, as well as all the oily characters he surrounded himself with. Pompous, self-important buffoons, Vader thought irritably as he strode into the conference room behind Tarkin, where an assemblage of said oily characters was waiting for news of the stolen plans. They were already in a heated discussion when Vader and Tarkin arrived. General Tagge, one of the few men with any sense in his head according to Vader, was addressing the smug General Motti. "The Rebellion will continue to gain a support in the Imperial Senate as long as..."

Tarkin cut him off as he made his grand entrance. "The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us," he announced in a grandiose fashion as he took his seat at the head of the table. "I've just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away."

Tagge was incredulous. "That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?"

"The regional governors now have direct control over their

territories," Tarkin continued, looking around the table. "Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station."

Motti gave a self-satisfied smile at this point.

"And what of the Rebellion?" Tagge persisted. "If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it."

Vader spoke up at this point. "The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands," he averred.

"Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained," Motti declared passionately. "This station is now the ultimate power in the universe! I suggest we use it!"

Vader shook his head at the man's smugness. "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed," he cautioned. "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."

Motti looked up at Vader, the look of smug superiority not leaving his face. "Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader," he sneered. "Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort..."

Vader had heard enough, and reached out a gloved hand toward the arrogant general, slowly crushing his larynx using the Dark power at his command with terrifying ease. "I find your lack of faith disturbing," Vader told him simply.

Tarkin watched the general choking for a moment in morbid fascination and then turned to Vader. "Enough of this," he snapped. "Vader, release him!"

Vader, though disappointed, knew better than to question Tarkin's request. "As you wish," he replied mildly and released the hapless general, who slumped to the table at once in a most undignified manner.

"This bickering is pointless," Tarkin said testily. "Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke."

If anyone around the table disagreed, they did not say so. Having seen what happened when one voiced a dissenting opinion, they thought it best to keep their opinions to themselves, and soon after, the meeting was adjourned.

"Vader," Tarkin said as the men filed out of the room. "A word with you."

Vader approached him and stood before him without a word.

"I want you to interrogate the Princess," Tarkin ordered. "She is in the detention block, cell 2187. Use whatever means you must to find out the location of that base, Vader. Don't mess this up- the emperor is already displeased with you. I would hate to have to inform him of any further incompetence on your part."

Vader had to fight not to Force push the scrawny man across the room; instead he merely nodded and then left Tarkin's presence, his heart and mind in turmoil. Interrogate her? My own child? He knew that noncompliance would result in severe punishment from the emperor, for Tarkin would only be too happy to report his insubordination. Yet, the thought of interrogating Leia, whom he believed was his child, left him cold and disturbed. How could he inflict pain upon the blessed child that his beloved Padmé had carried so lovingly? The child that had been conceived in such love and undying devotion? The thought of his wife still caused him tremendous pain, even twenty years after her death. Leia was the very image of Padmé, and so like her in her intelligence and political acumen.

Deciding upon a course of action, Vader headed for the detention cell, determining that his life would be worth nothing if he allowed the child of his angel to be harmed in any way.