Summary: Five years after Mustafar, Darth Vader is but a shadow of the powerful Sith Lord he should be. To the point where the emperor must use the apprentice bond to force Vader to act. But why?

Chalk it up to two undaunted women who will not let even death stop them from saving the soul of the man they both loved.

Based on StarWarrior72's "The strength to do for his child"

Author's Note: As promised, here are the names of those who guessed at least one of the Jedi.. DarthFrye, Jedi Master Misty Sman-Esay, brooklynturtle (Who did actually get the Jedi Master right.)

And of course StarWarrior72, who's review tells me to get this chapter up…now! So you can thank her for the update!

Force-Speech

*Thoughts*

Disclaimer - I neither own copyright nor receive money for anything. I write to improve my ability and for enjoyment.

We all need something to fight for:

Chapter 15 - In Defense

On Alderaan, a cloaked and veiled figure straightened up as a feminine voice called to him though the Force. Master I must leave for a while. Please watch over my daughter!

The figure sighed slightly as the presence left him. He already had one troubled spirit to guide in these dark times. He contemplated for a moment, sensing the shifting currents around him. *The Force is moving, and not to the Emperor's whims, I believe* he thought to himself allowing just the hint of pleasure. *The Force is with us. We must use caution though. It was our blindness and arrogance that caused us to fall.* He turned to look for his companion, the one he had brought to the temple so long ago and still considered the closest thing he would ever have to a daughter himself.

It was for that reason alone he had managed to survive the order that wiped out so many of his fellow Jedi. To find the one they had lost, that had set the Sith Lord's plans in motion. For her sake and the sake of her fallen master, he could do no less.

It was her attachment to him that had saved him, twice. By finding him and the three clone troopers that had escaped with him when the Order had given him up for lost. She had won the hearts of the three clones that day, enough so that when she had gone missing they risked and ultimately sacrificed themselves to warn him just before Order 66.

"The Chancellor himself.. He ordered Dooku.. to take her for the.. Nexus route Intel.. Still alive, General. You.. have to.. save her.

Don't..trust my brothers.. they ca-aan't fight the.. order. Aa..nd it will... too late.. to warn .. the Jedi. Find.. Ahsoka..she might.. be able to save... General.. Skywalk," had been Wolf's final message to him. Only a few minutes later Shadow Squadron turned their guns, on him. But he had been prepared.

"We have an assignment, little 'Soka," he called to her as he spotted her cloaked form. She turned toward him without interest. "Who could give us a mission now, Master Plo?" she asked. Her voice, once so passionate and full of life, now was subdued, almost dead. Yet he heard the barest hint of curiosity and it allowed him to smile under the detox mask that he always wore.

"We must watch over the princess Ahsoka. She is far more important than you realize. And I believe you will know why once we have gone to Senator Organa," Jedi Master Plo Koon told the young Torgurta woman. "We must leave for the palace now."

Alderaan Royal Palace:

Leia had heard of the mysterious pair of cloaked and veiled figures from the servants. They had been in and out of the place for some time now and no one seemed to know who they were or what Daddy Bail was doing with them. The whispers had grown louder over the last couple months, for their visits were now more frequent. And it seemed that today they were once again visiting the Royal Family.

They were not the only guests though. Though Leia wished that they had been. Mommy Breha's younger sisters had come to visit. Her aunts did not like her in the slightest, considering that the House of Organa to be above adopting a war orphan and giving her a royal name. The frequent statement, "Who knew what base background this brat came from," was often spoken. Often in more adult terms that Leia knew she wasn't supposed to hear let alone know.

This statement in its various forms, often reduced Mommy Breha to tears, and Daddy Bail would get red in the face. If it weren't for the fact that these two nasty ladies were 'supposed' to be Mommy's "sisters", they'd been barred from ever returning. But that wasn't Leia's biggest problem. The biggest problem was the gaggle of cousins and their friends that always accompanied Aunt Teru and Aunt Meecha.

The worst tormentors by far were Aunt Meecha's two children, her cousin Kinel and cousin Shanya. Kinel was almost as tall as a Wookie and just as strong, at least to his younger cousins' terror. He like to torment everyone, including his younger sister and yet he never got into trouble for all of his brutality. And when they came visiting, Leia had to be especially careful not to be caught by herself. He'd become nastier every year and the last time he'd managed to hurt her quite badly. When she fought back in self defense, he had hollered for his mom not out of fear, but because he knew Leia would get the blame.

She had indeed gotten the blame and Meecha insisted on punishing her. She'd been in the med center for a day afterward. Yet it had been worth it for when she returned to garden her mom had done something so that Kinel had gotten in trouble. So this time she'd really have to watch out. The gardens where she spoke with her mom were no sanctuary either for there Shanya loved to spend her time.

Shanya fancied herself the 'true princess' and tried to act it. She would always take over Leia's favorite spot by the fountains and pretend to hold court. Which she believed consisted of making malicious gossip about everyone. But her favorite target was her 'gutter trash' cousin. She'd even spread lies about Leia to the new employees. They in turn would make Leia's life miserable for weeks afterward.

The one thing Kinel and Shanya were united over was strangers. Anyone not of Alderaan origin was an alien and evil.

Thus they were fair game to those two, who could be extremely brutal in trying to drive said strangers away.

It was for that reason only that she was headed for the fountain now. For the smaller of the two mystery people liked to sit there and stare into the water.

Leia thought that this one was a woman, one who had suffered much. She was shy and sad and Leia could feel this. The young princess didn't want her brute cousins making the poor lady's life even more painful. Even as she grew close to the fountain she could hear Shanya's spiteful words. "We don't want you here you nasty alien. Alderaan is far too good for the likes of you!"

Leia burst into the fountain area where the cousins were holding court. Kinel was there as well, with everyone else giving him a wide berth. Leia felt a spike of fear and might have even pulled back into hiding if not for Kinel's venomous accusation. "I bet she's one of those nasty Jedi freaks that tried to kill our great Emperor."

That tore it! Leia knew that her real father was suffering because of the Emperor. He'd probably been a Jedi himself in the Clone Wars. And the Emperor had probably fooled him like he fooled all the others. Full of righteous indignation, she stormed in front of Kinel, all fear forgotten. "You big mean baddie! You leave her alone. Or someday soon my real father will come and get you! And you won't like it!"

Kinel stared down in shock at the little girl. She dared to show her face now? And threaten him with her supposed 'real father'? Rage filled the young man and forgetting where he was or how much trouble he could get in, he smash his fist into her face. He was going to teach this filthy stain on the House of Organa a lesson she'd never forget.

Ahsoka had buried her face in her hands and was crying silently when Leia's pain blasted through the Force. Her signature was strange, yet not totally. For through it was mixed the one Force Signature that had left a permanent mark on her psyche. This little girl was her beloved master's daughter! Her head snapped up and she felt the veil fall from her face. But she could care less.

"Stay away from my god-daughter, you monster!" she shrieked. As Kinel looked up from kicking Leia in the ribs, Ahsoka whipped up her hand and Force-Pushed him straight into the tree at the other side of the clearing. She moved forward, snarling menace at the other children, her only concern for the little girl that looked so much like her best friend and 'big sister' Padme.

She felt a tremor in the Force even as Master Plo came from around the corner where he had been. "You have seen nothing unusual today." he told them while making just the slightest wave of his talons. The other children were easily influenced by Force Suggestion as they had been shaken by the event.

"Kinel fell from the tree which he had climbed. You will bring a medic and leave this area."

"Come little 'Soka, this area will not be safe for us just now. Let us take Leia to her room and check what injuries she may have received, "Master Plo said as he turned back to Ahsoka. She nodded but did not meet his eye caps. Her checks red and her montails pinking showed all too clearly how embarrassed she was. He swiftly moved to her side as she gently bent down and cradled Leia's body in her slim arms.

Only to look up as her long-time friend and Mentor laid his hand on her shoulder. "You did nothing shameful Ahsoka. Indeed if Skywalker had been here, Kinel would have fared far worse I fear." "But Master Plo, I was acting out of anger!" Ahsoka said plaintively. "Yet you only rendered Kinel unconscious. You did no harm to the other children, only scared them so they would leave the Princess be."

Master Plo had of course felt the pain that his young friend had been in and had hurried towards the source. Yet he had paused, sensing the will of the Force that he not intervene. So he had watched as Leia had torn into the fountain clearing thunder on her little face. It was an almost terrifying reminder of her father's temper, though in looks she favored her mother.

It was the will of the Force that she was the one to stand up to her cousins.

To see Ahsoka smiled at him timidly as they turned towards the Palace, and move with life and purpose again was all that Plo Koon could wish for. It was very good to see someone so lifeless once again have hope.