Dark Angel
By Serena Kenobi
Author's note: SO sorry for not having updated in a long time... busy, busy, busy!! But I got a lot of this story done, so that's great. THANK YOU to all who reviewed... and welcome newcomers!! To Super Tinfoil Man Part 2 - don't worry, Elena is not going to turn into a Phoenix and die five times. Nuh-uh. Yes, she will use Phoenix's powers, but not be like Jean Grey. Just to let ya know. Here's the next chapter, and don't forget to review! Oh yeah, PippinBaggins, do you mind if I continue to use Spectre? I'm SO sad you're not continuing your story at the moment, but since I think Darcy is such a great character, I'd love to use him again. With your permission, of course.
Disclaimer: I own Star Wars. Right, and I also own three Ferraris. (Bursts into laughter)
Leia's mouth fell open in astonishment. "What?" She whispered.
The Twi'lek's mouth twitched upwards. "I believe you are acquainted with a being known as the Silver Surfer, Princess."
Leia was still trying to absorb the first part. "Hang on," she said, "just give me a minute. So you're a… mutant?"
"Yes. I am called Element because I am able to manipulate air, earth, water, and fire. However," the woman smiled, "the name that was given to me is Sylina Valcana."
Leia reached out with the Force and sensed that the woman was telling the truth. But suddenly something hit her. "Did you just say you know someone called the Silver Surfer?"
The lady nodded. "Indeed. It was he who rescued me and told me to come to you for help."
Leia smiled. Of course. Her brother. "Well, Miss Valcana, you have come to the right place. I will be glad to help you in any way."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I would appreciate it if I could be placed in a section of Alderaan where I would go unnoticed."
"You want to go underground, of course," Leia nodded. "Do you have any money?"
Sylina shook her head. "Not much. A few credits."
"Well, I will arrange for you to have an apartment, or whatever you want, and everything you'll need. I know that I have no real reason to trust you, but my brother is the best man I have ever known; and his judgment of character is also the best. If he trusts you, I trust you."
The Twi'lek's face betrayed surprise. "You are… Luke's sister?"
Leia smiled. "You and he are not the only people with gifts," she said.
Sylina smiled. "Then you are a mutant as well. I see that I am in good hands."
"Yes, you are. Now, come, let's find you a room here until we can find you your own place. Are you hungry?" Leia led Sylina out of the room, ignoring the guards who had been posted just outside.
"I wouldn't wish to impose…" Sylina began, but Leia waved her comment aside.
"Nonsense, you're as welcome to me as family would be," the Princess scoffed. "I'll find you a room." She entered the turbolift with the Twi'lek beside her.
Bail Organa walked down one of the bright hallways, with a wall on one side and complete windows on the other. He was reading some more data on Elena Skywalker from one of his spies working in Vader's palace. According to the spy's latest updates, she hadn't done anything out of the ordinary for a teenage student. She was just a kid.
With a Sith Lord for a father.
Bail shuddered. Elena was a lost cause. She would eventually show her true powers and unleash them on any unfortunate victim. It was only a matter of time. And Leia would stay as far away from her as possible. At first, he hadn't minded that the two were friends. They hardly saw one another, and Leia was busy with school.
But as they got older, they began talking with each other through the long-range comm system, sometimes conversing for hours at a time. It seemed that Leia was growing closer to the Sith Lord's daughter, and Bail didn't like it one bit.
What frightened Bail even more was that Elena already knew that Leia was her sister. And it was only a matter of time before she told her that they were related.
He couldn't let that happen. There was too much at stake. But now that Elena was coming to Alderaan for what she claimed was a diplomatic meeting between planetary princesses, he had no choice but to follow protocol and allow the Sith Lord's daughter to visit.
"You can stay in this room, Sylina."
Bail heard his daughter's voice up ahead, and he picked up his pace to find out whom Leia was talking to. He stopped when he saw her opening the door to a guest room and showing a red-skinned, female Twi'lek inside. He frowned. What was Leia doing?
"Leia!" His strong voice said as he walked towards them.
Leia balked and stared at her father. "Father," she collected herself.
Bail looked from her to the Twi'lek and said, "Leia, who is this?"
"This is Sylina Valcana, she's a friend of mine," Leia said smoothly; "She'll be staying with us until I can find her an apartment in the city somewhere. It'll only be for a few nights. Is that all right with you?"
Bail eyed the silent Twi'lek. "I don't recall you ever mentioning this young lady," he finally said suspiciously.
"We have a long-distance communications relationship," Sylina spoke, her voice low and calm, almost a purr. "It's my first time here on Alderaan. But if you are uncomfortable with me staying at the palace–"
Bail shook his head tiredly. This was the last thing he needed to deal with. "No, no, that's all right. You're quite welcome here, Miss Valcana."
Sylina nodded gracefully. "Thank you, Prince Organa."
Bail nodded. "Oh, and Leia," he said, sounding tired, "Princess Skywalker is coming to the palace to call on you. A typical proper meeting between princesses."
He inwardly cringed as Leia's face lit up.
"That's wonderful!" She exclaimed. "When will she be here?"
"She will not be staying long," her father said shortly, "Only a week at the most. She'll be here in a few days." He shot a forced smile at his daughter and strode on down the hall. But as he continued to walk away, he suddenly had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. A feeling that said Leia was up to something.
Uh-oh. He had a bad feeling about this.
"It's just a diplomatic meeting," Elena informed her father, "I'll be back in a few weeks. Senator Organa won't want me staying that long, but I personally don't care what he thinks. Leia might change his mind, and by the time three weeks rolls around, he probably won't even have remembered that I'm there."
Vader crossly watched as his daughter finished packing – he didn't want her to be away for so long, and who knew how many people wanted to kill her because of him? But he didn't have much of a choice. Elena desperately wanted to see her friend, Princess Leia, and although Organa hadn't liked it, he had to let Elena come because she was a diplomatic Imperial Princess from Coruscant coming to see the Princess of Alderaan. It was made out to be a business situation, but Vader knew better. He knew that Bail did, too.
"I just don't like you leaving for so long," Vader protested. "What if someone tries to take you as a hostage?"
Elena smiled at him – that smile that was so much like Padmé's and his in one – and said, "Dad, don't worry. How could I possibly get hurt?" She patted his shoulder and shut her suitcase. "Besides, if anyone tries to hurt me, I'll just–"
"Run them through with your lightsabers, yes."
Elena stared at him with her blue eyes, which had come back a week after her episode, as did her blonde hair. "Are you… worried about me?"
"Shouldn't I?" Vader snapped.
"Well, yes, but, it's not like a Sith Lord to worry about someone."
Vader knew he should be concerned about his growing feelings, but he wasn't. And that was disturbing. "Never mind that," he waved her statement aside, "I just want you to be on the lookout for anything unusual."
"I will. And thanks, Dad."
Vader stood there, silent, and suddenly began fidgeting with something in his hand.
"Hey, is everything okay?" she asked, frowning. Her father was not the hesitant type.
He nodded and continued to look at his hands. "Yes."
She waited patiently for a second. "Is… there a reason why you're standing there?"
"What? Oh… yes… um…" he fumbled for the right words, eventually just giving up and sighing. "I think you should have this." He opened his hand and held it out. In his palm, there was the japor snippet he had given to Padmé so many years ago. Elena stared at it and looked up at him, touched.
"Dad… I… thank you so much," she answered, throat closing up. "I can't believe you're giving this to me."
"I think she, your mother, would have wanted me to give it to you," he replied quietly. "Here." He placed it into her hand and covered her small one with his. "Put it somewhere safe," he continued, clearing his throat.
She nodded. "I will. Thank you." She put a hand on his arm.
"Be careful," was all her father answered.
Elena grinned faintly. "Can't promise you that," she shook her head, "I'm a Skywalker. But I'll try. Good night, Father." She kissed his cheek and crawled into bed.
Anakin looked at her for a moment before turning around and silently walking out of the room, disappearing behind the shadowed door.
Elena took off in her N-1 fighter the next morning before the artificial sun had risen. Her father had seen her off, but Jix was nowhere to be seen. She was incredibly hurt that he hadn't shown, as he normally would when she went off-planet, but at the same time relieved. She didn't want to think about him right now.
"You have done well, my young apprentice," a silky smooth voice purred.
"Thank you, my master." This voice was young, deep, and pleasant, but held a hint of unreleased fury and menace.
The cloaked figure stared out of the large set of windows that overlooked the cityscape of Imperial Center. His yellow eyes were set into an old, hideous face, which was smiling evilly. "You are ready," the Emperor said.
The young man standing some feet behind him bowed. "What is it you ask of me, my master?"
"Destroy young Skywalker."
"Lord Vader's daughter?" The young man's enticing hazel-green eyes that would enchant any female bored into the back of the Emperor. "Is she also not being trained in the dark side?"
The Emperor snarled. "Lord Vader has been neglectful of her training," he hissed. "Either you will bring her to the dark side or you destroy her. Do not fail me, Darth Kier."
Kier knew the consequences of failure and only bowed in return before sweeping out of the room, his long black cloak trailing behind him.
The Emperor smiled once more. "You are failing me, Lord Vader," he said softly, coldly, "and your usefulness is draining. My new apprentice will make sure that you are brought to your knees before me once more." He cackled.
Leia stared over the beautiful, limpid waters of the Alderaan Royal Family's private lake, her satiny chestnut locks whipping into her face. She reached up and pushed a stray curl back, registering the breeze that wasn't caused by natural forces.
"Amazing, is it not, Princess?"
Leia turned, and not for the first time, wished she had inherited her father's height or her mother's gracefulness. Compared to Sylina, Leia felt short and clumsy, not at all like a Royal Princess. It was often that her friend, Winter, who appeared every bit the royal, was mistaken for her. If there was one thing Leia wished she had inherited from her father, it was height.
"Yes, incredible," Leia nodded, pushing away her irritated thoughts. "Do you enjoy using this element?"
Element nodded, smiling. "Indeed. It is most refreshing. But my skills are lacking in the aquatic area. I need to focus my attentions towards that area."
Leia's deep brown eyes searched the mountains, the trees, and finally the great crystal blue sky above. "I need to concentrate on my abilities overall," she admitted. "My control isn't what it should be."
"I have some meditation exercises that may be able to help you," the Twi'lek offered.
"Are you a Jedi?"
Element shook her head. "No. Luckily, the Emperor never picked up my Force-sensitivity, and I remained anonymous. But I prefer to focus more on my mutant talents right now."
"I have to do both," Leia said. "But Luke and Elena are helping with that." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She froze.
Element turned her head towards the Princess. "I believe you just said 'Elena.' Are you, in fact, referring to Elena Skywalk…?" She trailed off. "Oh." Sylina turned back to face the lake as Leia rubbed her temples. "Oh, I see."
"You can't tell anyone," Leia said through clenched teeth. "It's hard enough as it is trying to keep this a secret between the three of us." She wouldn't even bother mentioning Mara right now.
Sylina looked offended. "I swear, you will not hear another word about it pass through my lips without your consent," she said. "I can't help but be … shocked. If that is true, then who is your real father?"
Leia didn't answer, and that was enough for Sylina.
"Ah. Your father is Lord Va–"
"My father is Anakin Skywalker," Leia cut in sharply, glaring at her. "Darth Vader will never be my father. My father was a Jedi Knight, a respected member of the Jedi Order."
Sylina nodded almost imperceptibly. "Of course. Forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you."
"No," Leia sighed. "It's all right. I'm just… it's just hard. You know, for me to adapt to all of this. I only learned this information around a year ago. I'm still having trouble… accepting who I am and who my connections are. My relatives, anyways."
"How is that you communicate with your brother without avoiding detection?" Sylina wondered.
"Force-visions. We get them nearly every night. The Force is allowing us to train together, providing us with lightsabers, places to go: everything. We can change things with our minds, such as our surroundings and so on, and we've been doing it for, well, Luke and Elena started long before I did."
Sylina reached out and caused the water in front of her to begin swirling in an oval, creating a small whirlpool. "You have an interesting family," she finally said.
"Don't I know it," Leia quipped, breaking into a grin.
After a short but comfortable silence, Sylina dropped her hand down and said, her voice low, "Your friend Winter is coming."
Leia turned towards the direction of the palace, and sure enough, Winter came striding down the path.
"Your Highness," the graceful young woman bowed shortly but beautifully. "I've come to tell you that Imperial Princess Lady Elena Skywalker, daughter of Lord Darth Vader–"
"Winter," Leia interrupted, "you don't have to be so formal with the titles – I already know who she is."
Winter nodded. "Of course. Your father has charged me with telling you that Lady Skywalker has arrived at the palace."
"She's here?" Leia's eyes lit up. "Now? Oh, that's wonderful – thank you, Winter! Come, Sylina, I want you to meet her." Despite the dress she was wearing, she jogged back towards the palace.
Winter and Sylina exchanged glances before following her at a much more graceful, slower pace.
Anakin Skywalker strode through the castle hallways until he came to the room with his now rarely used meditation chamber, where he sensed Jix already waiting for him. "It appears as if you've managed to evade the security systems of this castle once again, Jixton," he said, slightly annoyed.
Jix's grin didn't match his eyes. "Hey, I thought I was part of the family by now, Uncle D," he remarked.
"Indeed. But you undoubtedly know why I called you here." Anakin took triumph from seeing Jix swallow, his eyes flashing with fear. Good. He deserved it. "I wish to know how you feel about my daughter." There. He'd said it.
Jix's eyes widened ever so slightly, but he tried to play it cool. "What can I say? She's a good kid. Annoying teenager sometimes, but I guess that's normal."
Anakin was growing angrier, and his breathing through his suit grew louder. "Enough with the lies, Jixton, I want you to tell me the truth," he snapped.
Jix's eyes flashed again, this time with anger. "I don't know what you're talking about," he growled.
"Yes, you do. Elena's been upset ever since you disappeared on her during her period of illness; now I want you to tell me how you really feel or I will force it out of you!"
"Go ahead!"
"Don't make me hurt you, Jixton."
Jix's fists clenched. "That's just it, isn't it? No matter what I say, you'll kill me anyways."
"That remains to be seen. Answer the question."
The Imperial agent had had enough. "What d'ya want me to say?" He roared. "Huh? That I think she's amazing? That I think she's the most incredible girl I've ever met? That I'm kriffin' IN LOVE WITH HER!?" He was fuming and looking as if he was ready to punch the Sith Lord with both hands at once.
Anakin grinned under his mask. "Very well then." He turned and started to leave the room.
Jix gaped after him. "Wait," he protested, "what d'ya mean, 'very well then'? Does this mean… does this mean you're okay with me and her… together?"
Anakin was pleased that the usually rebellious and irritating agent was uncertain. He held all the cards now. He just had to play them right. "I will tell you this now, Jixton," he said, "I think you're irritating, incredibly aggravating, and downright insolent."
"Yeah, so you keep telling me."
"But my daughter is in love with you, and if she wants to have a relationship with you, then I won't stand in her way. She's an adult now, capable of making her own decisions."
"But you're her father. Aren't you supposed to be chasing guys like me away?"
"Jixton, you're not helping your case," Anakin reminded him, amused.
"Yeah, yeah. But you're not gonna choke me if you see me kissin' her, are you?"
Anakin's helmet turned back to face Jix. "I will if I see you trying to do anything more than kiss her, Jixton." With that, he turned. "Oh, and Jixton. I have another assignment for you."
Jix's handsome face broke into a grin, completely out of relief. He relaxed, shrugging back into his normal cocky self. "Whaddya got for me, Uncle D?"
Anakin then seriously reconsidered his previous statement. But no, he sighed, if Elena loved him, he wouldn't ruin her chances of happiness. He couldn't stand in their way. He understood where they were coming from. After all, he didn't want them sneaking around on him, even though he knew that Elena would never do that. She was too loyal.
And that might end up one day being her ultimate downfall, he thought grimly.
Elena set her ship down and leaped out of the cockpit, landing perfectly on the hangar bay floor. Looking around, she saw a dozen Royal guards coming towards her, and in the middle of them was none other than Bail Organa himself, looking worried and frustrated.
Oh joy. And just when I thought I had gotten away from stress…
"Prince Organa," Elena smiled, bowing in the typical Jedi fashion. "It's wonderful to see you again."
Unfortunately for her, Bail wasn't as friendly. "Lady Skywalker," he said gravely, "I must ask that you keep this visit short and to the point, as Princess Leia has duties that she must attend to. She cannot afford to get behind in her training."
Elena, though she didn't show it, was incredibly hurt at his standoffish behavior. Gone were the innocent days when she had been a young girl, naïve and unaware. "Oh," she said, trying not to sound too disappointed. "Well, I apologize for intruding on your schedule, and I won't trespass on your hospitality for too long." She bowed again.
Bail cleared his throat uncomfortably, as if he was embarrassed by his coldness, but he quickly regained his composure. "Yes, well, I'll have a servant show you to your room. I must see to some business, but I'll see you for dinner. Good day, Your Highness." He nodded and walked away, leaving half the guards still with her.
She was escorted halfway through the palace when her sister came bursting through a large set of doors, her brown eyes searching the grand room before her.
"Elena!" Leia exclaimed, striding up to her, "it's so good to see you again."
Elena grinned widely and moved forward, embracing her sister in a large hug. "Leia, I've missed you so much. I'm sorry, I've just been so busy. You know how it is." She pulled back.
Leia studied her slightly younger sister and frowned. "You look so pale, Elena, you need something to eat. Come on," she took her hand, "you can have something in my room. I'll show you your room myself." She turned to the guards. "You can go now." As they bowed, turned, and left the two alone, Leia smiled. "How've you been?"
Elena shrugged. "Can't complain. Your father, uh, doesn't seem all that pleased to see me. He said you're going to be very busy while I'm here."
"I'm sure." Leia rolled her eyes. "Oh, wait, there's someone I think you should meet." She motioned to the two tall women entering through the door. "Elena, I'd like you to meet my dear friend, Winter."
Winter curtseyed gracefully.
"Your Highness, a pleasure to meet you," she said pleasantly.
"And, also," Leia turned to the Twi'lek, "I would like to introduce you to Sylina Valcana, a guest here."
Sylina gazed at Elena steadily for a moment before bowing. "Milady, the Princess has spoken nothing but good of you."
Elena bowed in return. "Thank you. An honor to meet you both."
Winter looked at Leia and said, "If you'll excuse me, Your Highnesses, there are some things I must see to." She curtseyed and left the room, leaving the three mutants alone.
Leia glanced from Sylina to Elena and grinned. "Let's go to my room," she said. "We won't be disturbed there. Much, anyways." She led the two through the palace until she came to her room; and she palmed the door open and stepped inside, shutting it behind Elena. "There," she sighed. "Now we can talk."
"I must confess, I was eager to see the famous daughter of the Sith up close," Sylina admitted, a small smile gracing her face.
Elena shrugged good-naturedly. "Not much to see," she joked. "Behind the façade of a dangerous Imperial Princess, I'm just a normal mutant with a Sith Lord for a father and training to be a Jedi."
Sylina sat down on one of the couches across from the sisters. "You have the same abilities as Luke, then?" She asked them.
Elena's face betrayed sadness. "You've met Luke?" She said softly.
Leia nodded. "Yes. Luke saved her from a gang of bounty hunters, and she learned that he was a mutant."
"After we grew more friendly, he told me to come see Princess Leia," Sylina explained. "And she, in turn, told me everything."
Elena raised an eyebrow. "Everything? Leia, I didn't take you to be so trusting," she teased.
"I didn't–"
"Leia, I was joking," Elena quickly said, shooting her only sister a smile.
Leia grinned. "Well, why shouldn't I trust Sylina? If she were a danger, I could've just read her mind and taken her out."
Sylina blinked, and then smiled. "I'm sure you could."
It was midnight, and three figures were hidden under the cover of the darkness. They were in an old, abandoned building on the edge of Alderaan's capital city, and they were alone.
"We can't just go out there and risk being caught," one of the people hissed, her red eyes flashing.
"What else are we supposed to do?" One of her companions demanded harshly, "We've been sitting here for days now doing nothing. How long are we going to wait before we speak with them?"
"We don't know if we can trust them," the female Zabrak hissed in return, leaning forward intently. "We should wait until we are sure they are who we think they are."
The half Kiffar male who looked human except for the yellow line running across his upper face, pressed his lips firmly together, a sign that he wasn't pleased. "My father knew Skywalker," he said softly. "He trusted him."
"And look where that got him," the Zabrak snapped.
The young man's eyes flashed, and his dark locks fell in front of his face. "We should trust them. They're not of the dark side any more than we are. I would've sensed it by now if they were."
"Not all of us are Force-sensitive, Korto." A large, hulking shadow that had been sitting silent for the past ten minutes now spoke and moved forward silently, slowly. The shadow's voice was obviously male, and it was a deep, accented baritone.
The human male turned his piercing gaze towards his friend. "I know, Traashal. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound condescending. I just don't think waiting here is the answer to our problems."
"What do you want to do?" Khandrr asked Traashal, fixing her rather menacing gaze on the other male.
Traashal, a tall, large Kaleesh, was silent for a moment. "I think we should wait a few more days before journeying into the capital," he finally suggested. "If nothing happens, we will speak with the Princess and ask her for help."
"Who says we need any help?" Khandrr demanded. "Why not just stay here? Form our own alliances with others without the help of a princess?"
"She's not just any princess."
The three darted to their feet and whisked around at the sound of a new, unidentified voice coming from behind them. In the darkness, they couldn't see much, but from what they could see, it was a lone figure. Apparently, he hadn't brought any backup.
Korto stared hard at the new figure. "Who are you?" He inquired, suspicious. He reached for his hidden lightsaber but didn't draw it out. He wanted information first.
The figure stepped forward once. "I am Hirsh'chall, Clan Baikh'vair. I had come here in the belief that there were… others like me here."
"Like you? What you do mean?" Korto pressed.
The Noghri seemed to debate with himself for a moment. "I am not sure what to call it…" he trailed off.
"A mutant?" Khandrr spoke, eyeing the Noghri with great interest.
The Noghri nodded slowly. "Yes… a mutant."
Korto studied the newcomer, reaching out into the Force, looking for any sign of bad intent. He found none. "I'm Korto," he said, taking a few steps toward Hirsh'chall. "Korto Vos. And these," he motioned behind him, "are my friends, Khandrr, a Zabrak, and Traashal, a Kaleesh. We're all mutants, like you. We came here looking for others like us."
Hirsh'chall's eyes sparkled. "Did you feel it? The disturbance?" He licked his sharp, gleaming teeth.
Korto nodded. "We all felt it. That's why we came here."
"The mutant that caused the disturbance sent out a signal to all other mutants within range," Khandrr added, "and since we didn't know if there were any others like us, we all met each other here."
The Noghri looked at them. "Clan Vader is also here," he informed them. "The Imperial Princess is staying at the palace."
"How did you know that?" Korto inquired.
"I live closer to Imperial Center than you, Jedi," Hirsh'chall explained, ignoring the look of surprise on Korto's face. "I believe there is more to the daughter of Vader than has been revealed. She is hiding something. Hiding, undoubtedly, the same secret as Princess Leia."
Korto sucked in a breath, inwardly reeling from shock. He glanced at his companions, whose faces also betrayed the same emotion. "You don't mean… you're not saying… Elena Skywalker is a… she's a mutant?"
Hirsh'chall gazed at him. "Yes. I believe so."
Khandrr swore under her breath. "Do you think that's the reason she came here? Maybe to ask Princess Leia to join her?"
Korto frowned. "I don't think she would do that," he remarked thoughtfully. "So far, I haven't detected any darkness coming from her. But then, she does live with a Sith Lord."
"A Sith Lord who saved our people," Hirsh'chall hissed through his teeth.
The Kaleesh moved closer to the other males. "He and the Emperor were manipulating your people," he explained, tusks gleaming in the soft moonlight. "But that doesn't matter now. What does matter is we need to contact the Princess – perhaps both – and see what they know and if they are willing to help us."
"Perhaps we should turn in for the rest of the night," Korto suggested, sitting back down into a meditative position. "It's been a long night for all of us."
The others agreed and copied his action.
Korto closed his eyes and hoped that he was making the right decision.
Oh-ho, I couldn't resist. And yes, if you're wondering, Korto Vos is a real Star Wars character. I didn't create him. But I did make up all the others! Go me.
I have the rewritten story on the Force (dot) net's fanfiction archive, so you can check it out there! And reviews would be lovely. Hint, hint!
MtFbwy,
-Serena Kenobi
