Chapter 30

(Stardestroyer Exactor, en-route to Coruscant)

Vader had been pacing like a madman ever since he arrived aboard his ship. Of course the entire Imperial force planet side had been brought back aboard. However, after speaking with Starkiller, he had returned to the Exactor, to find his son still unconscious and that worried him in ways he couldn't believe. Though a medical droid assured the Sith lord that the boy was merely in a very deep sleep and would awaken soon, Vader was not all too placated by the idea of his son being put into a sleep like this. Especially by Kenobi. Ever onward did that man seek to make Vader feel nothing but anger and hatred toward him. A man Vader once could count on for every and anything, and now? Now Vader couldn't help but feel his blood boil at the mere sound of the Jedi masters name.

Now was not the time for Obi-Wan however. Vader was where he had been for the last few hours. A medical room with no one but his son in one of the medical beds. Leia had been there when he arrived but he soon all but forced her off to her quarters near to his to rest as the girl seemed tired. She didn't put up a fight after a while, and was now no doubt sleeping, and Vader made sure to make a mental note and ask her how she got away from her Noghri guard earlier, as the two loyal servants all but begged for his forgiveness when he returned. To which he quickly pardoned them and went on to see his son, Luke. Starkiller was off either training or getting some rest himself after being dismissed. While the 501st legion was also I recuperation while the ship made the long jump through hyperspace back to the capital. Though…for the life of him Vader swore he was forgetting something, and it was bothering him, but whenever he would compile a mental list he didn't find anything missing, and just thought it was due to all the stress and activity of late. So he put it off until later.

So, here he stood, standing ominously over the sleeping but peaceful looking image of his son as he slept. The boy was in the usual haggard tunic of a Tatooine slave and peasant. It made Vader sick to even look at. Yet the blonde haired boy was sleeping like a downed log with an odd smile on his face that tugged once more at the Sith lords chest in ways he didn't dare admit to. At times Vader would even find himself placing a gloved hand on his sons forehead. Not believing his luck. Two children! Twins for Force sakes! Vader couldn't believe his luck, and he did toss it all up into sheer luck really. These were also Padmé's children, pieces of her, and that to Vader was more than enough. Whenever he looked down to either Leia or Luke, he couldn't help but see parts of her in them. Especially when it came to little Leia. Though he smilingly thought the girl had the stubbornness of her mother and the recklessness of himself. She was going to be trouble and he knew it, but he wouldn't want it any other way really. Though he wouldn't dare say that to the girls face and risk having her feel free to undermine him and his authority. However, Vader knew one thing that he was beginning to become more keenly aware of and accept. These two were going to be his main weakness from now on to all his enemies, and he needed to be prepared to protect them and give them the means to their own protection.

However, that would come in time, as the dark lord sighed through his respirator, and finally relinquished his sight from his son as tiredness took hold of him. He needed to replace his mask with one of several he always had on backup, make a call to Imperial Center, and to prepare for the confrontation with his master in no time. So begrudgingly, he left the medical quarters and posted one of Leia's Noghri outside the room at all times until back on Coruscant, for even on the 8 the Emperor's spies may loom.

"You will not find making me look and feel like nothing so easy this time master." Vader spat to himself aloud as he strode toward his personal quarters. For a small smug smile was forming under his mask. For only if his master knew and was foolish enough to attack him now in his remade state, the old man would fall. He swore it.

With that in mind, Darth Vader fell into a semi-content sleep.

(Tatooine)

The twin-suns rose high once more as he walked through the desert. Unstoppable, and in pain. Viathan had discarded much of his hampering and overheated clothing leaving but his tunic jeans and boots as he had nothing to drink, no food, and no sense of direction save for what the dark side whispered to him. Telling him and pointing him toward a one direction of the sandy hell of a world. Viathan did not see them but his blood-crimson eyes were glowing, and his face was contorted into one of utter hatred. What did he hate in this moment? Everything, and everyone, for all were disgusting vile and weak in his now crimson eyes. The envy of everything but himself, for who would want to be him? A nothing, a nobody, and a weakling. Well, he would fix this, Viathan would make himself something the galaxy did not envy, but dreaded. For his envy, his anger, and his pain, he would return upon this galaxy ten, thousand, or million fold. For he was not meant for this galaxy, for this existence! As such, he would do what he could to shove his vengeance down the proverbial throat of the galaxy. Until then however, he needed more knowledge, and more power, and the only way Viathan could see himself doing such was by following the very call of the dark side itself. No other master to tell him where to go, what to do, and how to do things, not yet, not right now anyways. For now he would travel the stars for a short time, and he would just do what nature dictated be done, and then would he finally earn his name, Darth Viathan.

However as the hours had passed and the night turned to daylight, his pain, his thirst and hunger, and his sheer singular determination to survive to do nothing but feel nothing was what kept him going. So Viathan, now climbing over another desert dune stood, heaving out and in his breathes as he looked out into the distance to where the dark side called to him, and he sneered in confusion as all he could see was a heard of Bantha's minding their own business, and by the Force Viathan wasn't in the mood to slaughter mindless animals. Beyond them was nothing but what seemed to be a large cave. One that seemed oddly out of place, but Viathan wasn't fooled. It was a perfect place for a Krayt dragon, and hopefully not a greater Krayt dragon at that.

"Force kriffing mindless animals, really?" Viathan asked aloud wiping more sweat from his brow, and looked out into the far west as the Force told him a settlement of people was not far away, probably Anchorhead. Viathan looked towards the unseen city with great desire to run there and rest and get some water, but the dark side was beckoning, almost seductively whispering that all he need do was walk to the cave and impart upon himself more knowledge and power that would make him Viathan, really make him Viathan, and not Valek. So, with wobbling legs, sweat drenched across himself, red eyes, and pain radiating all about him, Viathan dragged his booted, and sore covered feet threw the dune sands down this dune. The Bantha instinctively parted away from the outsider, and made animal grunts that were neither fearful nor meaning impending danger, so he ignored them. He came to the open wide cave and it felt cold, an unseen and unfelt wind came out of it calling to him and all others through the Force and the darkness. Viathan could tell the cave used to have a bigger opening to it, but it appeared that the dragons had long since stopped coming here. All creatures seemed to ignore this cave, as the Bantha's did not get within ten feet of it on pure instinct. The sand was covering a lot of what used to be rocky ground for this cave, but Viathan felt the dark side bristle and beckon to him, and entered, activating his single saber for light.

He kept walking for a little while before he quickly reached the back of the wall, and noted that the area was nothing but sand, but the dark side had an epicenter here. Looking from side to side as he shook some dizziness away as well, Viathan found what he believed to be looking for and titled his head to a side as a single black tip of some sort stuck out from the cool sand. Moving the sand aside with his free hand, before finally giving up from tiredness and using the Force to push mountains of sand aside, Viathan frowned when the device before him appeared.

Whatever it was, it was blackened in color, with three protruding and standing upwards spike like pieces that were divided apart around a central region that was vacant of any spike or tube. However his adrenaline came back with another kick with a vengeance, and he couldn't tell if that was from lack of sleep, and a regular bodily function to keep him going, or if the dark side sent its power shooting through him as he tentatively, and almost fearfully reached his free left hand forward to touch one of the protrusions. Suddenly a whirring of some kind came to life, and the apparent machine came to life, making Viathan retract fast away from it as the three prongs stretched outward and down, before a small circular object rose into the air. Before a bright light busted forth and before Viathan knew what happened the brilliant light turned into something vaguely familiar, and due to lack of sleep it took quite sometime for Viathan to register the picture was that of the galaxy. Viathan dropped to his knees and looked closely at the…map, and saw that it was pointing toward the Unknown-Regions by his own mental calculations. It had a coordinate point on it, but it wasn't in basic or even Aurebesh writing. However when he finally risked touching the device again suddenly the coordinates materialized forth as basic, only making him scrunch his face confusedly.

Why had the force brought him to this seemingly ancient map? Why was the dark side so incredibly strong with it, and why is it even here on a rock like Tatooine? Nonetheless the Force now pulled him away from the map device, as he took out one datapad he usually kept on his person and punched in the coordinates, as he stood up the device retracted, but Viathan jumped back as when it deactivated the decay must have finally gotten to it as it suddenly blew slightly as a pillar broke away and sparks flew as did some smoke.

"Well….at least I got….whatever this is to work one last time." Viathan said as he gave the device a lasting and fleeting look as he then departed the cave, and made his way for Anchorhead. Once there he would procure a ship; leaving a dead Rodian behind, and find out why the dark side beckoned him to the Unknown-Regions, and the coordinate point on the map. All Viathan wanted really, was for this place to impart upon him power, and Viathan did not know just what he would find on this world. The world that was named Lehon.

(Geonosis)

Kellia had done nothing but frowned since Tatooine, and she swore it was going to give her deep frown lines for the rest of her life because of it, but she didn't care at this point. She was angry, no, she was livid! Not only had Vader defeated and all but killed Obi-Wan but his little Sithspawn of an apprentice had gotten a hold of Luke, and made her effort and the mission a failure and thus waste of time! She had stomped her way off the shuttle after it arrived back at Geonosis leaving the heartbroken Lars family in the graces of archduke Vikkal, as well as bail Organa while Obi-Wan seemed stunned silent from recent events and opted to stay on the landed shuttle and merely meditate which was fine with Kellia for now.

"Dase, you scoundrel get over here!" Kellia demanded after barreling into a command room and the Corellian man, recently back from Dac spun around in surprise.

"Whoa, I'm gonna assume the mission of yours went bad?"
"Your assumptions are of no use to me, but I concede the mission was a horrid failure! Vader now has two Force powerful children under his command, and we are still getting off the ground!" Kellia said as she rounded to a galaxy map showing activity from the two other major factions, the Moffs and Imperials as they were always making small moves against one another as the big battle of the week, Seswenna ended in Moff victory, but via Imperial retreat and obvious recuperation moves. At least Kellia could see it.

"Where are we right now Vorum?!" The Corellian, wearing his Corellian flight jacket and simple slacks cracked a lopsided smirk.

"Well we are moving along quite well. Phase three is now in effect! The messages are being sent out and many feelers are being responded to positively. He worlds of Noori, Ando, and Lannik are already ratifying the informal alliance charter while we have received very positive from the Tion Cluster, with Jabiim, Gand, and Ikotch entering into negotiations with our feelers." Dase however rolled his shoulders in an uncomfortable shrug then however causing Kellia to raise a brow.

"What's wrong then?" She asked though personally she secretly was uncomfortable at the idea of having to ever hear or go near Jabiim again. Dase sighed, which was unusual for him.

"We have received back channeled communications with requests for formal alliance and mutual economic and production aid in terms of battle droids-"
"That's great!" Kellia interjected seeming to become brighter in mood, but Dase held up a halting hand.

"They come from Muunilinst, Skakoan, and Castell." Kellia's smile and bright eyes turned to a frown and hardened dark eyes as the mere thought of these worlds made her sick. The nerve of these peoples! The old Confederates themselves, wanted to join her and her new rebellion probably wanting to settle old Clone wars scores, and the economic and productivity bases of these worlds was not to be so easily cast aside. Kellia growled in her throat but made no comment as she eyed the galaxy map once more and looked to the points of growing membership to her rebellion now being placed on the map. She then cast a look toward an adjoining viewport and saw millions of droids being loaded onto ships and taking off to necessary worlds for protection and soon enough, conquest.

"Dase..-"
"Yeah?" He asked approaching slightly.

"Tell them, that their transgressions against the galactic community are not forgotten. Tell them they shall join as junior members, and will be at our command. Inform them that for them, we require an entry fee."
"An entry fee?" he asked cocking a brow and Kellia nodded while keeping her gaze fixated.

"An entry fee. At the very least three hundred CIS era warships of their fleets. I want and will require them to maintain our naval production. The minute the default on these duties we shall disavow them and leave them surrounded by enemies and cut off from our aid. Is that clear Vorum?" Dase chuckled nervously, as he tended to do when he realized the Jedi woman was in one of her, 'moods,' but nodded.

"I'll tell them that Nelrain. Trust me they sounded desperate. I think they'll pay whatever you demand, maybe more."
"That's good. A little begging and bootlicking from these transgressors will go a long way to making my memory of their crimes….foggy." Dase nodded along understandingly. "What of the speech? The broadcast. Is that still a go?" Kellia nodded and turned to look Vorum in the eye.

"We go forward with the planned broadcast. Make sure we go sequential. Out-Mid Rims, then Expansion region, Inner Rim, Colonies, and you get the picture I assume?"
"Yes ma'am, I think I can remember that much." Dase said with a faint smile on his features.

"So, this is it huh?"
"Indeed. The galaxy will now have a choice. Empire, Moff, or Rebellion. Let us hope the majority make the right choice."
"And if they make the wrong one?" The Corellian asked and Kellia neared herself to the viewport and watched with a tingle of adrenaline course through her as the droid armies now became symbols of freedom, and she smiled grimly.

"Then they will learn that siding with oppression has its own consequences. The empire and Moffs may think their armies are truly endless, but they are sorely mistaken. Ours on the other hand are. Soon I will make them uncomfortably aware just how unstoppable my little droids are. For in time we will strike out at where it began. Kamino." Dase widened his eyes, as all records of the worlds location was restricted to top-tier Imperials.

"Sadly I need a fleet, so let's milk these ex-Confederate fools for all their worth, and in time they too shall pay for their part in the Clone Wars. Until then, we make war. On everyone and everything that old corpse signed off to. Imperials, Moffs and Sith. They will all come crashing down." Dase curtly nodded but smiled nonetheless and left Kellia alone to her thoughts as the star f Geonosis rose high into the air. A sign she took it as, for a new dawn was coming and it would pierce the dark veil that clouded the galaxy, and Nelrain would be the bringer of this dawn, and for that she smiled.

(Next Standard day, Exactor en-route to Coruscant)

Vader awoke from his sleep feeling well rested but slightly nervous, for despite his renewed health he still felt a hint of unease about having to face his master soon. However, when he thought of his children suddenly he would feel more invigorated and empowered than before! All he needed to do, he would remind himself, is keep calm and collected and maybe return a bit of fear upon his master. For if the old man witnessed Vader suddenly have more power, power enough o repel his little attacks on his mind and body then maybe Vader would accumulate more power and respect from the old man and keep the skeleton at bay, for now at least.

Until then Vader planned on merely waiting for his son to awake, and get on his and his daughters good side. In Luke, Vader saw naivety surely, but also a willingness to accept him. He had seen it on Tatooine and it had as usual of late made him feel emotions best left tossed to the void of the Force never to be felt again, yet he did and silently enjoyed feeling those feelings. For Force sakes, Leia, though he could still tell she was uneasy around him and still harbored much anger toward him, she had shown softness for him in her brown eyes, and Vader didn't want to get into another debate with himself on how that girl could make him turn to kriffing butter just from a look. A grand Sith he was indeed. He would think in self-deprecation.

Tossing those musings aside for now, Vader rounded a corner and laid his eyes on a hooded Noghri that the dark lord remembered as being the companion to Kohr'meram named, Cahrir'tel, but Vader usually spoke to the Noghri in shortened terms, and so addressed this one as Cahrir. The Noghri, besides his hood and simple robe wore but a light green tunic and simple slacks that were unassuming.

"Cahrir. Has anyone dared approach since my leaving?" Vader asked, once more wearing his signature outfit and gear without any tears, cuts or disrepairs about it. The Noghri bowed his head as it stared its beady eyes towards his lord Vader.

"None have approached my lord. The girl, your daughter, Lady Vader however has entered into the room along with Kohr'meram." Cahrir informed dipping his head low in respect once more and Vader gave an acknowledging nod before stepping past the Noghri into the room. Where to his surprise he saw Leia sitting in a metallic seat with her bodyguard beside her, and a fully awake and deep in conversation Luke sitting up in bed. They both heard his mechanical breathing and stopped as Luke and Leia turned to him, Leia slightly frowned but not much, while Luke actually beamed a grin that all but went from ear to ear.

"You're awake!" Luke cried out throwing his hands into the air enthusiastically while behind his mask Vader smiled.

"I believe it is my right to say that towards you my son. Far too long were you asleep thanks to the workings of that Jedi." Vader spat but kept his anger in check as much as possible, as he neared the two siblings, his twins, with his hands once more clasping his belt. Luke grimaced at that and nodded. "Yeah….I think old Ben just did what he thought was right. I mean, I did after all already agree to come with you….father." Luke said with a small smile replacing his grin, and Vader snorted.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi will always do what he thinks to be right, and not what is good for all. Merely his foolish and outdated Jedi traditions shall keep him alive. For now he has nothing left, and his failures are complete." the twins collectively frowned to their fathers overly vigorous and hate filled ramble, but said nothing as their father returned to silence, which went by for a few moments awkwardly.

"So…..I met my sister! A princess of Alderaan!" Luke declared with awe and wonder making Leia giggle. "Yeah…I don't know how much of a princess I am now though. With Bail not being my father and all." Leia said, a far away and slightly sad look in her brown eyes.

"The both of you shall shed all remnants of your past." Vader interjected pointing a lazy gloved finger at the both of them. "For I will ensure your training, education, and future from now on. As it always should have been!" Vader declared and the twins looked to him slightly shocked at his once more overly anger filled outburst. Vader noted that and so calmed himself and returned his hand to his belt.

"Both of you must understand something," He suddenly said nearing closer to the bed Luke lay in, and opposite of where Leia sat. Behind his mask Vader frowned as he thought on how to explain to them the reason behind their being separated from him, and despite the fact his version of how things happened may be different than Kenobi's or Organa's, Vader would have them hear.

"Long ago, obviously thirteen, I and your mother expected a child to be born to us." Vader said making sure to not say who the mother was, it was…irrelevant now, and just thinking that made his chest hurt, and eyes narrow in pain.

"My past is just that, my past and is of little importance to me anymore, and to the both of you as well. However, it was not by my will that you two were separated. I did not even know twins were what was to be expected of your mothers pregnancy, however I would have not been inconvenienced in anyway nonetheless." The Sith lord declared making sure to imply he did indeed want his children with him, and he could sense a bit of relief flowing off them. 'What did they think they were a mistake?' However, Vader remembered he was Darth Vader to them. For all he knew maybe they thought their mother was some one time fling, as abhorrent as that idea is to Vader he would let them think what they want…for now.

"It was prior to your births that I and Kenobi engaged one another in a duel. It was long, arduous beyond comprehension, and in the end I was proven a fool and sustained grievous injury. The Jedi took your mother away and she gave birth to the both of you, and….died shortly thereafter." Vader said with an unheard quiver in his voice, his mask thankfully unable to express it to his children, who looked on in mild pain evident in their eyes. Of course, Vader didn't realize that they could feel his pain through the Force, and he didn't know that based on the pain he felt in this moment they would be forever shaped.

"It is now obvious and quite clear to me that Kenobi took you, Luke, to live on Tatooine, in squalor and constant sweat and toil. While they also decided in their infinite and fair wisdom to send your sister, through no fault of her own, to Alderaan to live among kings, princes, and princess's. Wealth and court, and as such perhaps this is your first lesson, the both of you, into the hypocrisy of the Jedi, at least in this matter. Our family." Vader watched as the two teens shared a look, and they both slowly nodded, allowing Vader to replace his frown with a small smile, as he believed he was making good and quick progress with them already!

"Um, father…" Luke spoke up and Vader looked to him. "You said that Ben, uh I mean Obi-Wan hurt you in your duel….is that why you wear that getup?" The blonde boy asked and behind his mask the quite healed and healthy Vader smiled and chuckled a bit, making his respirator make odd compensation noises. Also making Leia and Luke cock their collective brows to the noise before it dawned on them.

"Indeed it is. However, in time I will let the both of you in on my current condition, but for now just know that am well, and fully capable, as you may of seen." Luke nodded as he remembered the very tired and beaten Ben running to them as Vader was apparently hot on his trail. Only someone fully capable of fighting could make an old Jedi-hermit look that amateurish right?

"Besides that however here is how things shall now be, and I expect your full cooperation and of course respect." Vader said once more becoming oddly serious and stiffening making the twins look at each other again.

"You both will, unfortunately be made known before my master, the Emperor, I cannot avoid this because of my departure to Tatooine, and he will summon me before him to answer for my disobedience."

"Will he try to hurt you?" Vader for a minute stood shocked and silent as it was not Luke, but rather Leia who asked, and her eyes were narrowed in….worry? Vader shook the surprise away though and continued.

"He will try, but he will be made to see the error of his assumptions and foolishness. You two will be, and I assure you of this, prince and princess of the Empire. No longer will you go wanting or in need, and you will become my apprentices in the Force and the power of the dark side." The twins again slightly grimaced, but for Vader that was to be expected. They both had to after all, grow up in completely biased homes, and around equally biased people.

"However, there is a war ravaging the galaxy as we speak and I will need to attend to it as much as possible, so you both may be required to receive an early introduction into the art and act of war. It will be a valuable lesson for your futures as well. I and my partners are planning on not only ending this war, but removing that old fool from the throne. Where we will take his place, and bring to the galaxy true peace and order. I ask that the both of you understand that my masters rule of the galaxy is twisted and a divergence from my visions, but due to my injuries changing his practices and acts was not available to me, but now….in time we shall see who comes out the stronger." The twins listened on in silence, Luke remaining observant and calm, Leia, more grimacing and slight disgust at certain ideas and topics, but she too remained quiet.

"In time we shall create a new Sith order, and a new Galactic Empire itself, a new order built upon the one of my master. We shall be a family forever remembered and in power as our lines pass through the royalty of the throne itself." Vader intoned, but more to himself in a quiet musing, but the twins heard him, and again were quiet before Luke spoke up.

"Father, what about our names, I mean I know it's kinda unimportant, but what are we gonna call ourselves?" Leia looked less than thrilled at the new conversation but stayed silent with an ever growing frown on her features, with Luke looking up his father inquisitively, the question also within his blue eyes.

"I and your mother were testing names before your births. Luke and Leia I feel to be her choices, and I would not….seek to change them, but the last names must be….adjusted. You are both Vader's now." The Sith lord said and Leia sighed openly but nodded her understanding, but Luke now frowned.

"Why am I named Skywalker? My father was named Anakin Skywalker, so does that mea-"
"That name no longer holds any meaning to me, or the galaxy, and now either of you. I would recommend you forget that name, and quick!" Vader boomed in rage, causing the children to recoil, and after a moment Vader looked down to the floor, almost as if ashamed of his outburst.

"For the sake of your security that name no longer can hold value. There are those out there that would use your very last name against me and you, and I will not have any harm come to the both of you. Not again…" The Sith trailed off in an unheard whisper. Though he didn't know that Leia caught his statement and put it in the back of her mind for later.

"For now then, I have duties to attend to. I shall have new clothes procured for you." Vader said lazily pointing to Luke, who looked down to his shirt, and slacks. "What's wrong with my clothes?!"

"They are the clothes of a Tatooine peasant. Little better then a slave indebted to a Hutt! It is unbefitting for you, and I will not have my son dressed in such a manner!" Vader declared and Luke conceded with a shrug of his head to the side.

"You will stay in your sisters quarters with her for now. We will arrive back at Coruscant in a few hours. Until then, I suggest you both eat, and remain patient." The two of them nodded along in silence, and once Vader looked them both over in silence for a moment he nodded, very much pleased with himself. Feeling as though he was playing the part of father figure pretty well. By his own standards of course.

"Very good. If either of you need anything you may request it from Starkiller, my apprentice. Who I will be posting as a third guard for you until we reach Coruscant and resolve the situation with my master."

"Aren't you going a little into overkill with the whole protection duty? I mean sure, two Noghri and a Sith apprentice may not seem like a lot for some, but if you base them on their skill levels alone than, yeah, overkill." Leia retorted with a bit of a matter-of-factly tone in her voice. Which only served to annoy Vader as he pointed a finger toward her.

"The spies of the Emperor are everywhere. Even aboard my ship they may yet linger about, and he may ever seek to destroy that which I…..do not want destroyed." Vader said awkwardly as he almost said cared for, or even loved! 'Sith don't love for Force sakes!' he chided himself as his daughter smirked a knowing and almost even cocky smile. 'Did she do that on purpose?' Vader asked looking to her, and if so he had to commend her backwards way of getting people to slip up, but he was maybe imagining things right?

"I will not become lax in my abilities or attempts to dissuade and deter any and all attempts on the both of you by the Emperor, not until he is firmly in a grave where he belongs! Now, I suggest breakfast for the both of you. You may use that terminal there to order something from the server droids. I shall return to your temporary quarters to check in on you in some time, but until then remain out of sight and out of trouble." The dark lord commanded and swiftly turned on his heel and left the room. Along with one Noghri, and two twin teens.

"Well then…..I suppose this is our first day as brother-sister eh?" Luke said with a small but still slightly nervous smile toward a sister he just met, but Leia smiled back. "Siblings, the term is siblings Luke, and yes it is. Don't worry we'll survive Darth Vader together." She said half-jokingly, as her thoughts streamed through the recent days activities, and she released a sigh.

"I never would have thought my father was Darth Vader!" Luke exclaimed after a moment with more awe in his voice than happiness, as he too allowed his thoughts to drift. I was told by uncle Owen and aunt Beru that my father was a great pilot not a Jedi or heck, Vader!"
Leia nodded but then snapped her head up as a thought hit her. "Luke, you said that your father was Anakin Skywalker right?"
"Yeah, why?" Leia rolled her brown eyes with a smirk.

"There's only one famous Anakin Skywalker and he was a Jedi during the Clone Wars, but most people don't know about it like you because the Empire clamped down on all pre-Empire information available to the normal public."
"Oh yeah? Then how do you know about him?" The blonde boy asked inquisitively and the girl only broadened her smirk.

"'Cause, I was a princess of Alderaan! My fath…I mean, Bail let me in on a lot of information reserved for either high up imperials or those that were there to see it." She said but then her smirk faded as she mentioned Bail Organa. Luke noticed and cocked his head to a side in a concerned-questioning manner.

"Hey, you okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah sorry. I was just….thinking."
"'Bout what?" Leia rubbed the back of her neck before answering. She really didn't like these types of conversations anymore.

"Bail Organa. The man who took me in and raised me as his daughter. I cant reconcile several things. First he's a rebel, then a 'son of the Empire,' then back on Tatooine he was helping the reels again! Now I learn he split me up from the only sibling I've ever had and probably will have. I'm just…..confused I guess."

"Boy, you're telling me!" The boy replied with a kind smile on his face that all but forced Leia to smile In return. Not even a day in, and she felt like she had known Luke all her life. Conversations, and talking in general just came naturally, and if she were honest she had always felt something was missing with the Organa's and she had known, through her 'feelings,' that in a way she didn't belong there with them, but what scared her was Vader. When around him she felt it, she felt like she belonged here by his side. The man she had grown up loathing, dreading, hating! Was now the man she looked up to when she stood by him, and felt…..pity. Then, that moment on Tatooine when she saw past his broken mask, and saw brilliant blue eyes looking down at her. Like Luke's eyes. The way he had ran his gloved hand across her head spoke of something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. He seemed to see something in her, and she could only imagine that is was maybe her and Luke's mother, but what made her a ball of emotions was the idea that despite what she knew Vader to be, and what he was, he seemed like he cared for her. Only he wasn't willing or maybe incapable of saying as much because of who and what he is. 'Why does my family life have to be so complicated?' She mentally asked.

"Hey, Leia you in there?!" Leia snapped out of her thoughts to see Luke waving a hand in front of her face and she blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, just-"
"Thinking, I know." Luke interjected with a grin, and she returned it. 'At least Luke isn't bad at all. That counts for something right?' She thought, still looking to her twin brother.

"Let's get something to eat! I'm starving, in fact I could eat a whole Bantha!" The boy declared jumping from his bed, and leaping off it and all but running to the terminal Vader had pointed out and Leia giggled again at the sudden surge of energy and life in the boy, who seemed to not be so bothered by Vader being his father.

'If it doesn't bother him so much maybe I should ease it a bit. Maybe I need to ask him what he thinks more deeply later. Yeah that's it! A one on one!' She thought with another smile at her plan to sit the boy down later and just talk it out with him as she followed him over to the terminal.

"Kohr, you want something to eat?" Leia asked her Noghri who cocked his head to the side and seemed shocked by her asking.

"No mistress, I ate earlier. I however am greatly honored that you asked me-"
"Don't think on it so much Kohr." Leia cut the Noghri off before he began groveling or something because she was the daughter of Vader.

"If you're gonna be looking after me and Luke for sometime the least I can do is get to know you a little better. Maybe make a new friend while I'm at it eh?" The Noghri still looked baffled but curtly nodded.

"As you say mistress, but your protection is my top priority. As my lord has commanded."
"Sure it is." She said with a smirk. "Just try not to be so stiff around me Kohr. I've had enough of all the stiff-upper-lip-isms to last a life time, so do your…'mistress,' a favor and protect me, but don't be Vader's dog! Interact, and relax, I don't bit." The Noghri and Luke both seemed shocked at her demeanor change, but she only smiled and winked to Luke who grinned as the Noghri nodded.

"Very well. I'll try mistress."
"That's all I ask Kohr." She said smiling, and soon enough she and Luke downed some food. As their first day as members of the Skywalker/Vader family began.

Authors Note: So hey guys it's the weekend so I'm hoping to get two chapters up for this story and my "Arda Campaign," story, but if I can't deliver I am sorry. However, there are a few things I want to just make a comment on since I am making this authors note. First off I hope everyone knows what the device in the Tatooine cave is, and if you don't well it's a Star Map of course. Now for those of you, and I know there will be at least one, who calls out BS about the map being able to pinpoint Lehon, you must remember the devices were self repairing and they've had a long time to repair but as you read they still are highly volatile. Especially after being under sand for so long as well. With that being said I would like to know what YOU guys want to see happen at Lehon, or what do you think may happen or what do you want again? And besides that, as usual please point out or excuse any and all grammatical errors, and enjoy the chapter! :D