Chapter 6
General POV
"I really thought I would be failing Spanish because I was just so busy with everything going on", Leia said. She laid on her stomach on her favorite meadow, chewing on a blade of grass, as relaxed as she'd ever been. In reality she was at home, sleeping in her bed but in her dream, Bella was lying next to her, watching the clouds pass by.
"I never thought I would be so busy once I was no longer a princess. But there's school, there's playing in-between for the pack and the vamps, there's fishing with Charlie, going on dates, practicing my Force powers, blaster training and helping to decorate the new house. Alice is such an angel for giving me an answer sheet to memorize. I might have had to repeat a year if it wasn't for her."
"How's the house coming along?" Bella wanted to know.
The two girls had spoken just a week ago, when Leia updated her sister on the success of the vampire hunt and Bella had given her the good news that she'd saved her parents (again).
"Oh, it's coming along. Esme jumped right in and basically filled up everything with designer furniture. But she somehow still managed to find a style that feels homey enough for Charlie. I think he might have a crush on her, actually."
"Aww, poor Dad", Bella made and grinned. "I doubt he can compete with the good doctor."
Leia laughed. "Maybe he could if he wasn't half a century too young for her."
"How about René, how's she doing?", Bella asked curious.
"She's doing great, I think she really enjoys the traveling. I got another postcard yesterday. We mostly write emails though. She sounds happy."
Leia rolled onto her side to face Bella.
"But enough about my side of reality. How are you doing? Is Vader still behaving?"
"Yeah, everything is fine. I'm back to having to study though." Bella grimaced a bit. "The first day I arrived, I told him I'd like a handmaiden. You know, because Padmé always had some and you look like her, I wanted to build on resemblance. But I also explicitly told him I didn't want one of my old ones, I mean your old ones. They might know I wasn't you and I didn't want to give him another hostage. So of course, what does he do?"
Leia frowned worriedly even as Bella rolled her eyes.
"He captured one of my old handmaiden?"
"Well, sort of. Nymia said Bail assembled a bunch of servants and asked if anyone wanted to volunteer and she did."
"Of course she did", Leia said a bit sadly. "Nymia used to be my double and bodyguard. Her position at my side was always supposed to be life-long. She didn't give you any trouble, did she?"
"Not yet. She only arrived yesterday. I considered telling her I fell on my head one time too many during Rebellion missions and had amnesia or something. But I don't want that kind of thing to get back to Vader and I don't know if my room is bugged. For know I just told her I want to continue furthering my education and we've cobbled together a lesson plan with politics, history, diplomacy and etiquette. I added astronavigation and Bruno is training with me with a blaster. Bruno - that's one of my trooper watchdogs. The only thing that Vader doesn't let me do is practice flying. I'm not even allowed in the simulator."
"It's good that you have Nymia, especially if you're concerned about assassins. She'll protect you with her life. She is a good friend but... You can tell her you will be more distant so Vader doesn't get any ideas of using her against you. Nymia will understand."
"I wouldn't mind having a friend nearby... The troopers are all so stiff around me. But I guess I'll have to be more distant so she doesn't figure out what's wrong", Bella mused.
"You could tell her using a coded message or sign language if you can figure out where the cameras in your room are. But I wouldn't risk it if I were you. I don't have to tell you but if Vader finds out, you're dead. And your mind is the only one that's protected", Leia reminded her. "How often do you see Vader? Do you have access to any information about what he or the fleet is doing?"
"No, nobody tells me about that stuff. I've asked around - it would only be natural for me to dig a little, I figured. But the troopers are all 'I'm sorry your Highness, you don't have clearance'. And Vader gets suspicious every time I so much as ask 'How was your day?'"
Leia smirked at the mental image of tiny Bella dancing up to the armored behemoth all pixie style like Alice, asking how his day was.
"As if he has any right to. He questions me pretty much every day about what I've been up to."
"He does?" Leia made. She'd suspected Vader would invest some time into breaking Bella's spirit. But as he was currently treating her like a guest rather than a prisoner, she figured the time he had to spare for her would be limited.
Bella nodded. "Yeah, he summons me to him once every day, usually in the afternoon. Sometimes he'll eat dinner with me. Well, I'll eat dinner and he watches." She giggled. "Sort of like your vampire."
"How about any attempts to draw you to the dark side?" Leia asked. Bella's attitude was cheery and relaxed so she wasn't worried much but still had to ask.
"Hm", Bella made and thought. "He's still bringing it up a lot. Supposedly so I'd learn self-defense. I agreed to some saber practice if he stopped trying to make me angry or scare me. The former is annoying and the latter is just cute. We'll have the first lesson tomorrow so let's see how long he can keep it up. Other than that, I guess he's trying it using Force language but he's either really bad at it or my brain is just wired too oddly for him."
"Force language?" Leia asked. "What's that?"
"I sort of feel more attuned to the Force when I'm with him. I can feel his presence and sometimes his emotions. It's like this..." Bella raised her hands, waving them around in a vague gesture. "... this mist surrounding him. My shield is like a soup bubble. Sometimes I can catch some of that mist in my outer bubble and then it feels... It feels... Oh, it's so hard to describe. It feels a bit like nursing a sick or injured animal. It's definitely dark and sometimes hostile but I can usually calm it quickly when I reach out."
"Yeah", Leia made incredulously. "I think that's your head being wired weirdly. I'd be terrified if Darth Vader flared his presence at me like that. I once trained with Jasper together and he made that fear blast - I had nightmares for two nights afterwards. I swear I'll never underestimate that guy. Edward said the Cullens have gained some small resistance to his gift because he taught them how to recognize and shake off foreign influence, just in case he had to use a widespread attack around them in a fight. Maybe it'll get better as a vampire but when I trained with him and the wolves, I just straight up fainted on the spot."
"Wait, really? Jasper is that scary?" Bella made with wide eyes.
Leia nodded uncomfortably. "I wasn't the only one either. Quil could hardly move, he was trembling so much and poor Seth actually soiled himself."
Bella gave a snort. "I'm sorry. That's not funny."
"Maybe it is. A tiny little bit", Leia admitted with a small, guilty smile. "My point is, supernaturally induced fear is nothing to scoff at. You can be so glad your shield protects you from that and that you can shut out his emotions if you want. You couldn't do that in the novels. You were just as powerless against Jasper as anyone else, even as a vampire. I suppose that lends credence to the theory that our powers adapt to the rules of the universe we live in. From what I've gathered, Force-sensitives might have a talent in one branch over the other but everyone is able to learn the basics."
"According to Master Yoda, reading emotions is a prerequisite to readings thoughts. It's supposed to be easier and go hand in hand", Bella remembered. "I guess when I extend my outer shield, I extend my presence and my emotions are mixed in there but not my thoughts. Then, when I wrap my outer shield around someone else's presence, I read their emotions. But I can't read their thoughts because that would require to touch minds, not just presence. And my mind is still stuck behind the inner shield."
"Don't try to change that either. The moment you learn how to shift your inner shield, Vader might notice and force you to lift it to let him in", Leia warned her.
Bella nodded. "Yes, I'll be careful. I really want to continue my Force training but not in that direction. Only problem is, I can't contact Master Yoda even with ghosting without risking his location to be revealed. Not to mention it would look suspicious if I started talking to myself. Vader thinks I've been learning under Obi-Wan. I've told him no, that I'm self-taught. I don't think he bought it 'cause he keeps complaining about how untrustworthy Obi-Wan is. So long as he thinks that's how I learned what I did though, he won't suspect Yoda being alive so I can't complain."
"Luke is still safe with Obi-Wan?" Leia asked worried.
"Well obviously, I haven't been able to contact them recently. But one of my troopers told me a while ago that there was a raid on a planet called Besko where Kenobi narrowly escaped. It was even in the holo news. Apparently he was with another wanted Rebellion 'terrorist' called Biggs Darklighter."
"Luke's friend that died during the Death Star raid", Leia remembered from the movies.
Bella nodded. "He mentioned wanting to use a fake name before so I'm sure it was him."
"If you want to continue your Force training but can't risk contacting any Jedi because it would risk their lives", Leia said, "why don't you try asking a dead Jedi for help?"
"You mean... Someone like Qui-Gon Jinn?" Bella perked up. "You think he'd help me?"
Leia shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to ask. If you contact him like you did me today, by concentrating before you go to sleep, you could receive lessons in your dreams. Nobody would ever know. And if you really want to drive Vader mad or need some leverage to try and stop him to do something, you can just make it obvious. I'm sure Vader would do an awful lot to stop you from receiving training. But there's nothing he can do to Master Jinn. He could only strike a deal with you. So long as he doesn't learn you can also talk to ghosts in your dreams, you could maybe pretend to stop training with your dead Jedi Master. That's one get out of jail free card to get Vader to do whatever you want and annoy the heck out of him in the meantime. I mean. If you think that would be safe to do."
Bella's eyes had gone as big as saucers. "Oh my god, Leia, that's an amazing idea! I could even use Master Jinn as an in-between to Master Yoda! Maybe even Obi-Wan and through him, to Luke!"
"I wouldn't recommend summoning him in front of Vader if you can at all avoid it. There's no way to tell whether he won't find a way to harm him anyway", Leia cautioned her. "Vader appeared as a Force ghost himself in Return of the Jedi and he's seen you ghosting when you first contacted him so I don't think you would be giving too much away by revealing this is possible. You could also quote Master Jinn existing in a space outside of normal time as your source for some incriminating stories about Vader's youth."
"You mean the really embarrassing stuff, like using phrases like that's so wizard?!" Bella's eyes gleamed with unholy mischief.
"And endlessly complaining about sand", Leia added with a smirk. "Or that horrible bowl haircut."
The two girls burst out laughing, Bella even wiping away a tear.
"Ah, that would be so cruel. I shouldn't tease an old bald man like that. That path leads to the dark side."
Leia laughed again, even louder this time. "Oh stars, you're right that would be evil. But he's the one who insisted on furthering a family connection. He's lost the right to complain about what's essentially his Jedi grandpa showing off his baby pictures."
"Oh Leia, you're killing me!" Bella gasped, holding her stomach in laughter. "I definitely have to ask Master Jinn. This is a once in a lifetime chance to prank a Sith Lord! Oh my god, I would die to see the look on his face!"
"Well, if you're not careful, you will die for it", Leia reminded her. Only to notice with some worry that Bella seemed to be somewhat serious.
"Please don't actually throw your life away for a chance to humiliate him, okay?"
"Oh, I wouldn't humiliate him", Bella reassured her not very convincingly. "Just tease him a little. Ideally in view of a camera."
"Great, I've done what Vader couldn't", Leia said dryly. "I've turned you into a monster."
Bella smirked wickedly. "They do say parents should be happy if their children surpass them."
XxX
Bella POV
It took Bella a couple of nights to figure out how to dream-talk to Qui-Gon Jinn. Merely concentrating on him before going to bed was not enough and it was only after mentally preparing herself for two hours that she managed to catch the elusive ghost.
During those days she had her first saber lesson with Vader and very nearly gave him an aneurysm when she refused to so much as touch any lightsaber taken from a Jedi that had been killed by Vader, an Inquisitor or anyone else affiliated with the Empire. Oh and no red crystals of course, ever. Vader snidely told her he wouldn't trust a beginner like her with a real saber anyway lest she cut off important parts of her anatomy by accident. She got handed a training saber with an artificial yellow crystal that couldn't do more than slightly tickle an opponent instead. Bella thought that was awfully responsible of him. She told him so and had the distinct impression he wanted to strangle her.
When Bella finally managed to get through to Qui-Gon, he had good news and bad news for her. On the one hand, he agreed to support her with her training once she'd explained the situation and was even looking forward to giving Vader a piece of his mind himself if the opportunity arose. They spend hours talking about Vader's childhood, Qui-Gon's theories of what slavery might've done to his psyche as well as ancient Jedi prophecies.
"When I first told the council he might be the Chosen One, nobody believed me, despite his obvious talent", he told her. "I do admit I doubted it myself after I glimpsed his future from behind the veil... But something has changed. And you, Leia, are at the very center of the change. Somehow, your presence and your decisions have thrown the fates into disarray."
"Only in a good way, I hope?" Bella asked, worried she might end up accidentally ruining the fall of the Empire.
"Most certainly, yes. I'm not omnipresent or all-knowing even as part of the Force. But I have kept an eye on Anakin now and then, as much as I could without getting detected. I have noticed a distinct shift in him ever since he found out the truth of your lineage. Your wish to save him is commendable but I hope you realize the danger of failure is very real."
"But you think it's possible?" Bella asked.
"People have changed their minds before and turned away from a dark path. None have ever walked it as far as Vader and returned. However, you are perfectly positioned to find an opening and slip past the guard he's put up against anything that's good for him. If anyone can help him, it is you. I will train you if that's what you wish and help you on your way. But I'm afraid I cannot help you to connect to anyone on the outside", the old Jedi explained.
"Do you think Vader might detect that?" Bella worried.
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, child. But what you are doing right now, reaching out to me like that, it is a talent. Not everybody can do it and those that do usually need a lot more concentration for it. Ever since the Jedi have experienced this catastrophic loss, the remaining ones have been focusing on hiding, surviving and preservation of knowledge. I have taught Master Yoda and Master Kenobi what I know so their knowledge might one day be safe nestled in the Force and could still serve future generations. The Sith will not rule forever. It is in their nature to destroy themselves and when they do so, the light will return. It is my duty and the duty of every Jedi to lay as much groundwork as possible for those that come after us to learn from and build on when the time comes. But I have already finished guiding everyone I could reach at this time. It requires a tremendous amount of energy to appear to those that do not reach out to me first. Master Yoda still occasionally does for company but it is only because he has the time and leisure to do so. Master Kenobi however is very busy being on the run and training a padawan and young Luke has never even felt a connection to me as you have."
Bella smiled sadly. "There goes my idea of a super-spy. I still have much to learn I guess. I thought Force ghosts might be able to appear anywhere and maybe even interact with the real world." At least that's how it had been in the sequel movies and old KOTOR games.
"The state I am in right now will not allow me to do so. It is possible to anchor one's essence to a person, object or place, to haunt them so to speak and thereby gain more awareness and connection to the present. However, it comes at the price of making your essence vulnerable. If I were to enter such a state and then be destroyed, there would be no returning to the embrace of the Force for me and my knowledge would be lost forever."
"Oh, don't ever do that then!" Bella said hurriedly. "It's quite enough for just us to talk. You're already being an incredible help like that. If you ever do get the chance to talk to Master Yoda or Master Kenobi though, please give them my greetings and tell them I'm doing fine and not to worry."
"I will make sure to deliver the message. Just please promise me to be careful and not to provoke Vader."
"...that'll be hard but I'll do my very best."
Over the next couple of days Bella would spend up to three hours a day in meditation, gradually reducing the time it took her to contact her new Master. She would talk to him openly, though only when she was alone. A week passed, then another... And still Vader didn't mention her new habit of talking aloud to empty air. She was starting to wonder if he'd bugged her suite at all. After two weeks she got impatient. She wanted to include Vader in her Jedi training as much as possible - show him what she was learning, discuss Force philosophy, show him that it was good and superior to anything dark side related. She couldn't do that if he kept avoiding the issue. Qui-Gon was amused at her eagerness to progress Operation Lightify, as she'd dubbed her current mission. He told her that she was already making plenty of headway just by virtue of still being alive and remaining unchoked while meeting a Sith Lord almost every day. But it wasn't enough for her.
So one day, after lightsaber training where she'd perfectly executed all the demanded katas, not trying to hide in the least that she already had practiced these many times - she decided enough was enough. If the prophet wouldn't come to the mountain, the mountain would get off its arse to march up to the bloody Chosen One herself, dammit.
XxX
Darth Vader POV
Work was piling up for Vader and it grew increasingly difficult to make time for his precious daughter. But he refused to compromise. He'd already missed so much of her life, he would spend as much time with her now as he could.
Leia had settled in well and as far as his subordinates reported, hadn't made any attempts to flee, rescue a prisoner, sabotage equipment, infiltrate restricted sections, hack into secure systems or even just eavesdrop on any important meetings. That was really suspicious. Especially since she seemed to be happy still every time he got to see her.
That was until that one day...
"Father", Leia started after she put away her training saber for the day, "isn't there something you want to ask me?"
She'd taken to addressing him this way when they were alone. It sent a proud little shudder though Vader every time she did it.
Leia folded her arms in front of her and stared the Sith Lord down with all the sternness of someone demanding if they had forgotten their birthday.
Every parent knew that kind of tone from their child meant you were in trouble and Vader was no different. He wondered what that could possible be about - was she upset about any of his latest raids? Had she caught wind of any prisoners she happened to know personally being brought on board? Had she made any requests of him recently he'd forgotten? What was this about? Murder? Torture? Betrayal? He was quite sure he did not actually forget her birthday, he still had months left till then.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked carefully.
Leia sighed. "Honestly, don't you monitor what I'm doing in my room at all?"
Vader was baffled at how disappointed she sounded.
"I had the recordings stopped when it became clear you prefer to shed garments when you sleep", he said automatically.
Leia stared at him agape, her face slowly turning the shade of a tomato.
"W-What!? You had better destroy those recordings! I don't want to see any of that on the holo net!" she screeched, pointing at him accusingly.
Leia's presence flared for a moment in embarrassment but then wrapped tightly around herself, making her vanish from his senses. She had no way to sense then that Vader was equally, if not more mortified at his slip up.
"There was only one recording, which has already been destroyed. Only one technician saw it and he's since been relieved of his hea- I mean duty", he hurried to say.
"Well good!" Leia made, still indignant and planted herself on a nearby crate used in the jumping course training. "But that means you haven't followed my progress in my, err, self-study. I learned something new the other day. I want to show you!"
"Show me what?" Vader asked warily.
Leia gesticulated impatiently. "You'll see. Can you stand over there please?" She pointed at a point a few steps away.
Vader stared at her wordlessly for a few moments. Debating the likelihood of an oncoming assassination attempt.
Slowly, he stepped towards the point in question. But no matter what she said, he would not-
"Close your eyes. Try and feel me", Leia said cheerfully and took on a meditation pose.
She looked so eager and for a moment Vader imagined her as a little pig-tailed five-year old handing him a drawing or something. Oh how he wished he could've been there to see her like that...
Vader closed his eyes. His daughter was protecting herself from any sort of influence. It still marveled him how it came so naturally to her - but it also worried him. And maybe, it even made him a little bit sad. Because it meant she had been taught and trained to hide her emotions and fear discovery from a young age. The Organas had kidnapped her, hidden her from him, from her rightful father - and as a result she'd lived in fear of being discovered, of accidentally revealing her secret. If she had grown up with him, would her powers have developed differently?
Vader thought of all the hundreds of children taken from the temple and shuffled into the institutions that broke and burned and reforged them into the elite Inquisitors that were feared across the whole galaxy. If he'd been the one to raise her, if he held her in his fake hands as a pure little baby, would he have ruined and tainted her...?
A sudden shock went through Vader's entire body and his eyes snapped open. From one moment to the other he was swallowed up, emerged and drowning in his daughter's presence. It felt as if someone had cracked a giant egg right above his head or teleported him from a cool, empty hangar into a sunlit clearing. He was suddenly acutely aware of her happiness, her pride and anticipation as well as some lingering embarrassment from their earlier conversation.
It lasted for about five seconds before it faded away rather quickly, leaving behind no trace or connection to its source at all.
"What", Vader made, struggling not to be overwhelmed, "was that?"
Sharing in his daughter's emotions like that... It was even more intense then when they brushed their senses against each other in the Force.
"Did it work?" Leia exclaimed with a large grin, opening her eyes. "I finally managed to detach my outer shield. I formed a bubble from it, filled it with lots of candy and sent it your way!"
"Candy", he repeated hollowly.
"Yes, Force-Candy. You know, good feelings. How was it?"
Vader imagined how horrible a weapon that would be if you put something other than 'candy' in that bubble. He hadn't felt it coming at all. The attack had been as invisible as Leia herself was when she drew her shield tight around herself. Vader imagined putting all the focused pain and rage of his transformation into one package and dumping it over his Master... Ahh, that would feel good...
"It moves too slowly and takes too long to build. Also, won't it leave you vulnerable if you detach your shield like that?" he worried.
Leia made a face, clearly not pleased with his answer. "I'm not detaching the entire shield, I'm just forming a new one out of it. Like a soap bubble. And it's supposed to be a gift, what does it matter if it takes a few moments to arrive?"
... a gift.
Vader closed his eyes in pain. He was a horrible human being. He'd been shocked and surprised, barely able to comprehend or really drink in the concentrated happiness she'd sent him. And then he'd immediately analyzed how to weaponize it...
It had been nearly two decades since anyone had given him a sincere gift.
He didn't deserve it.
"...thank you."
"You're welcome!" Leia chirped. "My Master suggested it. I'm glad you like it."
Vader froze, all thoughts screeching to a halt.
"Your... Master?" he repeated incredulously.
Leia nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, that's why I was wondering why you haven't said anything. I found a Jedi Master willing to teach me remotely. I thought you already knew." She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. How had she possibly found a Jedi Master on board of his his ship?!
"How!?" he snarled. Had Sidious henchmen sneaked on board behind his back to try and manipulate his daughter?! Oh, someone would have to die when he found out who-
"His name is Master Jinn. He's a Force-ghost! I summoned him the same way I first made contact with you, do you remember?" Leia told him cheerfully. "Why, he even said he knew you when you were younger. Waaaay younger, like this young!" She held out her hand next to her hip like you would measure a young child.
Vader stared at her.
"Master Jinn is dead", he said coldly.
"Well, yes. Ghosts usually are. You're the exception." Leia rolled her eyes at him. Rolled her freaking eyes at him.
"You can't talk to dead people!" Vader forbid her.
"I can! It's my special talent, besides shielding", Leia declared happily, totally misunderstanding his intention. "So long as they're Force-sensitive and figured out how to preserve their essence after death or some such. Apparently, it's a popular trend among Jedi in hiding to do so nowadays. Preservation of knowledge for future generations and all that. A lot of them have a lot of awful things to say about you, I'm sure... But Qui-Gon is different. Hey, is it true that you were almost going to be his apprentice once?"
Vader made a few menacing steps towards the teenager. "You will not meet with or speak to that man again!"
"Huh? Why?" Leia asked. She was still shielded tightly and Vader's power crashed uselessly and unnoticed against her mind. "You said you wanted me to learn about the Force. You can't teach me because you're a Sith Lord. Master Jinn is available, he's willing and you just said you liked what he taught me. It's the perfect solution, isn't it?"
It... was. It was perfect in that Vader suddenly, horrifyingly, realized he had nothing he could threaten an already dead person with to chase him away.
"I'm not going to allow a ghost on my ship!" he refused furiously.
Leia looked taken back. "Are you... superstitious?" She spread her hands reassuringly. "It's okay. You won't get haunted by him, I promise."
Vader lunged forward, stopping himself just at the last second and grabbed her shoulder in a vice-like grip instead of her throat.
"Do not mock me, daughter. You cannot receive Jedi training while you live with me!"
Leia held his gaze for a few moments - then she let out a short laugh.
"Ah, I'm sorry. No, really, I am. It was just... Oh, I wish I could see your face. I'm sorry. I couldn't resist." She put one hand on his armored one on her shoulder gently and smiled at him. "Forgive me?"
She had no idea how close he was to crushing the life out of her. She couldn't have any idea or she wouldn't look at him like this.
It required a tremendous amount of willpower for Vader to slowly force his hand to lift from her. As he did so, Leia's shield unfurled. While her mind remained as closed as ever, he now felt her emotions lick at him, felt her merriment and joy and mischief and absolutely no regret.
Damn her. He couldn't stay mad at her like that.
"I'm being serious though. I think it's really good for me to learn like that. Why are you against it?" Leia asked curiously.
Vader reminded himself that she had told him of this on her own. She could've kept it a secret, gone behind his back and he might've never found out. Instead, she had told him. Why had she told him?
"The Jedi teach a false doctrine. Everything you learn from them, you would eventually have to unlearn or you would fail at the most important moment", he snapped.
"There's nothing false you can teach about techniques though. If it works, it works", Leia replied. "And when it comes to philosophy, if you're concerned about that, I can discuss my lessons with you and you can tell me where you think they fall short."
"The Jedi teach to suppress your emotions. They want you to become a cold and unfeeling machine!" Vader said furiously.
Leia stared at him with an eyebrow raised, disbelieving. "Really, father?"
Vader raised his hand again, the urge to hit her overwhelming... instead he cupped her face, holding it firmly in his palm.
"You do not want to embrace the darkness. Fine. But do not distance yourself from me my walking that path. The Jedi are my enemy. How can I see you fraternizing with them as anything other than a betrayal?"
"But... father", Leia said with a sad smile. Her tiny hand slipped into his mechanical one and she squeezed it lightly in both of them - a movement he didn't feel, not really, just heard the leather move.
"I'm doing this for you."
And that's when he understood.
That was her scheme, her lie, her plan, her mission. That was why she came here and stayed without attempting to flee. That's why she kept hurling love at him.
She wanted to turn him.
"Go back to your room", he said icily.
"But-"
"NOW!" Vader roared and Leia flinched. She hopped from the crate, her shield once more tight and threw a hurt glance at him over her shoulder.
Vader was shaking in rage, hands balled to fists at his side. That impertinent girl - she dared...!
Leia left the training hall quickly and that was a good thing because otherwise she might've ended up similar to the disassembled training equipment.
Hours later, when his rage had cooled from a burning firestorm to smoldering coals, Vader sat in his hyperbaric chamber and tried to sort out the well of emotions underlying the rage.
Leia wanted to turn him.
The very notion should be laughable. It should be good news even, that it was only that, that she was just a silly girl with silly fantasies, easy to manipulate whichever way he saw fit. It wasn't even a reason to be angry. She was just a child. She didn't know about the galaxy, about pain and suffering and hatred. She didn't know rage and revenge and the desire to burn down entire worlds. She was just that naive. It wasn't like there was any reason to feel betrayed, to be concerned, for she was no danger to him. Except... It was working.
Vader clenched a mechanical hand above his aching, aching heart. It was working.
Vader didn't want to turn. He never ever, ever wanted to turn and look back on what laid behind him. There was only more pain and suffering for him along that way. It should be impossible anyway, everyone always said so, the Jedi, the Sith, everyone. Once turned to the dark side, there was no way back. But when he was with Leia, Vader looked to the past every day. She had already proven her capability to hurt him and yet he always came crawling back for more, like a fool or an addict. He knew between the pain, there was joy and hope and light and he basked in it like a dried up plant in the desert when the rain finally came pouring down. Even now, right at this moment, Vader hurt, he hurt so much and yet, he wondered. Was it really Leia that hurt him? Or was it the darkness rooted deep inside his heart? What would happen if he pushed it away? He was curious but afraid and it hurt so much and there was this voice in his head desperately singing 'Leia, my sweet Leia, my baby, I'm coming, don't leave me, wait for me!'
Vader coughed and hissed, feeling sick inside and out as he bent forward, suffocating even in the oxygen-rich chamber, old injuries burning, burning, burning and he couldn't grasp that pain, couldn't chain it and take it and use it as he usually did. His medi droids started to panic as an alarm was raised. Vader was swallowed up.
The last thought he had before he fell unconscious was how beautiful Leia's smile was and how happy and touched he'd been about her gift.
He wouldn't mind dying that happy. He wouldn't mind it at all.
XxX
Leia POV
Meanwhile, on Earth, the school year came to and end. Leia's high school held a small dance in the gym. It was very... peasantry. But it was the only occasion for many of the local teenagers to dress up. Though it couldn't hold a candle to even the shabbiest event Leia had ever gone to as a princess, she threw herself into the preparations with enthusiasm and enjoyed the excitement very much. Alice and her had picked up their dresses together months ago but they made another shopping trip anyway for shoes and accessories. Edward looked like he stepped right out of a spy movie with his black suit and white tie and Leia made Charlie take pictures even though he grumbled all the while about how she was supposedly too young for a boyfriend. Still, she could tell he was proud when she walked down the staircase of their now finally fully furnished new house, wearing a dream of dark green fabric, shoulder-less with gold stitching running down in waves. The dress fit her tightly till it reached her knees, then widened into a fluffy mess of lace. Edward gazed at her utterly enchanted. Leia knew she had nothing on his beauty, especially not in mousy Bella's body but she didn't care and she knew he didn't care because she had loads of other things to offer besides beauty. Her most shining accessory was her confidence. But even Bella's ordinary body cleaned up nicely with a generous spa treatment and Alice' fashion advice.
Edward and Leia were the most envied couple on the whole dance floor. True, Emmet and Rosalie were more picturesque and Jasper and Alice had the best dance moves. But as the only long-term single Cullen, many girls had hoped to snatch up Edward and as the new cool kid, Leia had also received quite a few offers.
As Alice had promised all those months ago, Leia had Bella's clumsiness somewhat under control now thanks to her new diet and Edward was of course an excellent dance partner. The princess had little experience with Earth music and dance and had had no time to practice. But she'd taken enough lessons in various other dances that she got a good feeling of rhythm and adapted quickly.
After the dance Leia got the full teenage experience of snogging her boyfriend in the back of the car. She had little desire to go further than that, no matter how hot Edward was. From the novels, she knew that would result in bruises and possible hybrid babies, something she definitely wasn't ready for. She would wait until after she was turned for that experience. Edward being able to read her thoughts on the matter was so very useful as it meant there was no need for awkward conversations to clarify.
Or that's what she thought at least until they cooled off enough for Edward to start driving her home and he said:
"Earlier, I caught a thought I'm not sure was meant for me... Maybe it was just a joke" He glanced at her curiously, using only one hand to steer. "What was that about hybrid babies?"
Leia's breathing stopped for a moment.
"Uh... that", she made, caught utterly flat-footed.
"There is no such thing as half-vampires", Edward said reassuringly.
Leia fidgeted. "Well, actually..." She remembered the holo drama Twilight got turned to, the horrible ordeal childbirth had been for Bella, the crazily fast growing fetus and even more crazily fast growing Renesme.
Edward's eyes widened. "Wait, what!?"
Leia smiled apologetically and gave a little shrug. "It's something that happened in the novels. Novel-Edward was sort of adamant about having a wedding before a Turning and novel-Bella was sort of adamant about having a proper honeymoon after the wedding. And wouldn't you know, it turned out hybrid babies are actually possible. Novel-Bella literally died giving birth and could only be saved by venom and the hybrid brought the Volturi right to your doorsteps on suspicion of immortal children. It was a whole thing."
Edward looked horrified. "Well we're definitely not doing that!"
"I agree", Leia said quietly. "I know if I turn, I'll have only the one chance to have a child of my own with you. I don't really want one right now but maybe I will later. But the risks are just too great. However, I'm thinking of maybe having my human eggs harvested in a hospital and freeze them for future use, just in case I ever change my mind. In my galaxy, it was a trivial matter to grow babies in artificial incubators all the way from cells to infants. You didn't even need an egg, a hair would be enough. If we have eternity together, technology will eventually develop to that point. We could have children together one day, if we want, without any risk of me dying giving birth myself."
Edward hit the brakes and turned to her disbelievingly. His eyes had a weird shine to them.
"A-Are you serious? You think that's... that's possible?"
Leia shrugged. "Sure, why not? The possibility is there. I don't know if I'd ever want that. My movie-self seems to have terrible luck with children. But Bella reports that her power is more and more growing into full Force-sensitivity. And during my training I've never managed to do more than telekinesis, battle premonition and sometimes sensing people's intentions. I can't read thoughts or heal or use mind tricks even though that's supposedly a basic skill. I've just never attempted to do any of that in my galaxy. So I think in this world, my abilities got sort of... stuck in the state they were when I came here. I can train them to be stronger or more refined but I can't learn additional skills. If that's true though, then I very much hope there won't be an addictive dark side threat to me or my children. And if that's the case and there is no Empire to hunt them down and no galactic throne to fight over... Maybe having children wouldn't be so bad. What do you think?"
Edward just stared at her as if she'd made him the most wonderful present of the world.
"I think that would be beautiful", he whispered.
Leia felt a touch guilty. "I'm sorry, I probably should've told you earlier that it was possible. I just... After I learned about Vader, I was sure I never wanted to have children. I'm still not sure even now. I didn't want to get your hopes up for nothing..."
Edward leaned forward to kiss her gently.
"It's okay, honey. Even if we decide not to, just knowing that it is possible... It means a lot. It means... It means not everything about me is dead yet, you know?"
"Oh Edward", Leia made and held his face in her hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't consider... You're right. There must be a lot of vampires out there who would like to have children but thought they never could. Do you think we should tell the others? I mean, Esme and Rosalie haven't been dead for that long. It might be possible to find some leftover human DNA from them?"
Edward's eyes widened. "Rosalie kept her old wedding gown. There could be something... a hair, some old dander... Leia, that would change everything."
Leia smiled, trying to be optimistic even though the chance was so small. "We could be aunt and uncle before we have to be parents?"
Edward turned his gaze back to the road. "I have to tell Rose... No, no, absolutely not. What if it doesn't work? I have to tell Emmet first, ask him for help in searching for - no, better yet, I'll just ask Alice if it'll work at all-"
"Alice can't see hybrid babies. Same as wolves" Leia warned him. "You can ask her to watch out for blind spots though."
"Then I'll ask Emmet for help but check with Alice first if she sees major blind spots in their future."
Again, Leia felt guilty for never even having thought about Rosalie. She knew how much the female vampire wanted to be a mother, how much she suffered from being unable to. She even knew from how much Rose fussed over Nessie that she wouldn't even mind it if she wasn't the one to give birth herself.
"Don't beat yourself up, Leia. I understand why you didn't say anything, given how dangerous the... direct method is. And there is still the Volturi to deal with if it comes to that", Edward said. "Besides, Rose wasn't really all that kind to you. It's only natural that her case wouldn't come to your mind right away."
"If you can make it happen though, I would be really happy for her. Rose would be an amazing mother, I'm sure", Leia said quietly. "As for the Volturi... The problem arose when one of the Denali's saw Nessie. She didn't know how she came to be and mistook her for an immortal child and reported it. Carlisle gathered a whole bunch of old friends to be a witness to Nessie's rapid growth, her mental maturity and ability to live on a human diet. There was a rather tense standoff with the Volturi guard because of course they were really only looking for an excuse to attack. But in the end, they left without a fight. It would still be safest to keep any such child hidden until it looked to be at least fifteen or something. But the creation of hybrids should not, in essence, break vampire law."
Edward nodded seriously. "Thank you for telling me. I'll have got check this out right away."
Indeed, Edward pulled out his phone to call his sister Alice, who was very put out to be disturbed during her Jasper-time. Apparently, Edward's sudden decision to call her hadn't left her enough time to get dressed.
"Look, I'm sorry but this is really important", Edward cut off her rant. "Do you see any large blank spots, like with the wolves, in the future of Rose and Emmet?"
"What? No, why would I see that?" Alice asked.
Edward slumped a bit. "Nothing? Not even ten, twenty years from now?"
"Edward, you know my visions aren't reliable that far ah-" Alice started but then suddenly quieted.
"Edward", she then said with a trembling voice. "What's going on? What happened? Did they have a fight with the pack or, or what? Why can't I see them!?"
Edward drew in a sharp breath. "It works!" he whispered to Leia.
"What is working!?" Alice asked, sounding panicked. "What's wrong with them? Edward!"
"I'm sorry, really, sis. It's nothing bad, I swear. Rose and Emmet will be fine. But I don't want to say anything more before I'm sure. Please don't tell anyone, okay?"
"Tell anyone what!? Edward, what have you done?"
Edward closed his eyes, debating with himself. He stole a glance at Leia. She hesitated, then shook her head. This was not something you should explain over the phone without the evidence to back it up. The stigma around immortal children was too great.
"I'm sorry Alice, I can't explain it right now. I have to check over a few things and talk to a few people... It's still far in the future, isn't it?"
"I can't see any of Rosalie's weddings, Edward! You know she has one every ten years!" Alice wailed. "I see prom and I see her receiving my 100ths birthday gift for her but I don't see her or Emmet at the university they picked out for after Forks. Instead, she's going to medical school again but I have no idea where Emmet is - Edward, what have you done!?"
Edward grinned widely. "Nothing yet. But it sounds like something amazing is going to happen soon. It's really nothing to worry about and I'll tell you more once I've done some more research. I love you, sis."
He ended the call, grinning at Leia. "Love, I think this might actually work. As far as I know the research of artificial wombs isn't very well developed and has only been tested on animals... But with the combined expertise of Carlisle, Rose and me and our resources, we might be able to speed up the development." His smile faltered a bit. "I believe Carlisle was very thorough in destroying all traces of Esme's human self and she was more eager to forget that life and didn't keep anything from it... And we don't even know where Alice came from. But for Rose, there might be hope."
Leia winced. "Actually, I know where Alice came from... That's another thing I totally forgot about. I doubt there will be any DNA traces found of her but I should at least tell her her story. I think she even has living relatives still."
"How about you come by our house tomorrow? You can talk to Alice then. I'll have an update on the situation with Emmet and Rose by then."
"Okay", Leia made and smiled when he leaned down to kiss her again. "I'll meet you tomorrow."
XxX
Alice was still upset the next day about being kept out of the loop. So upset in fact she kept only monitoring Rose and Emmet and completely failed to predict Leia's ambush. As such she was in the unique position to actually have surprised her clairvoyant best friend when she sat her down and told her the story of how she used to be Mary Alice Brandon, institutionalized for her visions, coveted by a vampire who ran into James, the same tracker they'd killed together a few months ago. She told her how she had been turned to save her from James but how her creator had died before he could help her get settled in. Alice was in tears at the end of it. She finally had a past now, a history, a name. Leia apologized a lot for not telling her sooner. She hadn't wanted to do it before the nomads came as she was unsure how it would influence their decisions. She also wanted to spare Alice the pain of being recognized and possibly mocked by James. But afterwards... She had no excuse, she'd just forgotten.
Alice however was quick to forgive her. She was just happy she knew the truth now and for a vampire many decades her elder, a few months were really nothing.
The information helped to distract Alice as she promptly went on a hunt to research her birth family and possible living relatives. Within two weeks, she had proudly cobbled together a complete ancestral tree that went back ten generations.
Emmet looked at Edward with quite some suspicion when he requested access to Rosalie's very first wedding gown. She kept the dress in a locked crate in the basement and it still had the bloodstains of her old fiancé. Edward assured him many times it was for a great surprise he planned for his sister and eventually convinced him to give him the key. With the dress, Edward went to Carlisle for help and asked him to use his connections in the hospital to analyze any traces of human DNA left on the dress. Most of them would belong to the blood of the men she killed of course. But as any bride, Rosalie would've tried on her gown a few times before the wedding so there was a good chance some traces of her human self might be left as well.
Carlisle was even more confused by the odd request and even more so by the requested secrecy of the project. But he trusted and loved his son and performed the necessary analysis.
A week later they had the results. Carlise had found a single female eyelash on the dress that he managed to use to isolate Rosalie's human DNA. Using PCR, the DNA could be amplified and several vials of it were frozen. In the meantime, Edward spend days and nights pouring over the most recent of research papers on cloning, artificial wombs, in vitro fertilization and everything to do with it.
When his research came to a close and he was confident the technology could be developed within a relatively short time frame when using the Cullen money and ignoring any laws and regulations meant for humans, not vampires, Edward told Rosalie, Emmet and Leia to meet him to discuss it.
"Alright, we're here", Rosalie said in her usual, annoyed manner. Edward had chosen a time when Carlisle and Esme were out hunting and Alice and Jasper had gone on a trip to meet Alice' Great-great-aunt so they had the living room to themselves.
"What do you want?"
"I've been working on a medical research project", Edward started. "I'm thinking of making it my project for the rest of this circle, after graduating high school. However, if I want to get anywhere anytime soon, I can't follow the usual state rules and regulation regarding medical research. Instead, I'm thinking of using Jasper's contacts to the black market to buy the neccessary devices and perform the research in secret in a self-designed lab. I would like your help, Rose, with the research process. Carlisle's too of course but he'll be busy most days at his job."
"You want to skip on collage to perform your own secret research?" Rosalie was skeptical. "What use would that be? Even if your project, whatever it is, succeeds, you won't be able to publish it. Nobody will be helped by it."
"Carlisle has published research through colleagues before but that's really risky. You have to be careful to find someone greedy enough they won't drop your name and keep the fame to themselves but not greedy enough to just pump the project for money and not actually make it available to the masses", Emmet commented. "What are you developing anyway?"
"That's just the thing. I'm not too interested in publishing this for the good of humanity", Edward made evasively. "It's more of a... personal project." He looked at his girlfriend. "Bella?"
Leia cleared her throat. "As you know, I've decided to become a vampire after I turn nineteen. Edward and I have discussed many possible consequences of that and one of them is that I'll never be able to give birth to a child."
Rosalie's face froze at that and Emmet wrapped an arm around her automatically, looking concerned.
"I'm still very young and in this day and age, I, like many young women, didn't expect or want to have children before I'm not at least thirty or something. But just because I don't want a child now doesn't mean I never will. So... I suggested to Edward having my eggs medically harvested and kept frozen for the possibility of future in vitro fertilization."
Rosalie's eyes widened a bit. "That way you could have a human child with a donor one day. You could still... be a mother."
Leia nodded. "Theoretically, yes. However that would come with it's own set of problems. How would I raise a human child as a vampire? How would I ensure I won't accidentally hurt it? How would I ensure it doesn't tell any friends at school about my nature? How would I explain to a small child they can't call me mother but must call me aunt or later sister because I won't age but they do? Will I need to turn them into a vampire eventually or be forced to watch them die? If they don't want to be turned, what do I do about the law of not revealing vampire nature to humans?"
"It would be the same situation as humans with young children who find themselves suddenly turned. There is no other way, they have to leave their children behind", Emmet said quietly.
Leia nodded. "Exactly. And the alternative, immortal children, are not an option either. It would be cruel and incredibly dangerous. So, we're not going to do either. Instead, we're looking into a third option."
"What kind of option?" Rosalie asked with narrowed eyes.
"As you know, I sometimes have visions similar to Alice. However, mine show me more of a possible distant future and I don't have those blind spots Alice sometimes has." She exchanged a quick glance with Edward and went a little red around the nose. "In one of those possible futures, Edward and I got a little, ah, handsy before I was turned. That... That resulted in the creation of a child. A child that was half human, half vampire."
The two vampire's eyes widened.
"Impossible!" Rosalie burst out and jumped to her feet. "Vampires can't have children!"
Leia nodded calmly. "That's completely true. Female vampires can't give birth or produce eggs because their bodies are forever unchanging. That puts a stop to the reproductive circle. But men produce sperms all the time. They don't have a circle and I believe neither do male vampires."
Rosalie's face darkened. "So you're saying that only female vampires are infertile?"
"Please hear me out", Leia said quietly. "In my vision, the hybrid baby was growing incredibly fast. It was ready to be born after mere weeks and the pregnancy was... Well, taxing is too weak a word. It's basically impossible to survive. I don't want to do it, Edward doesn't want me to do it and we couldn't possibly ask a surrogate mother to take a risk like that."
"So... What's your research about then?" Rosalie asked carefully.
"I want to research artificial wombs and develop the technology to a point where it can be used for hybrid babies from fertilization till birth", Edward jumped in. "I've researched the matter a bit in the last few weeks and it should be doable with our resources."
"My vision has shown me other half vampires. We can even try to find and contact them. There should be one living in the Amazons called Nahuel", Leia told them. "They can live on both vampire and human died, though they prefer the former. Their strength and speed is somewhere between the two and they grow up very quickly till they reach their physical prime, after which they stop aging. They have a heartbeat and can breathe but their base temperature is cooler than humans. They don't smell or taste like food to regular vampires. A hybrid baby would solve all the problems that come from raising a human child. They grow up so fast they would need to be kept in seclusion for their youth but could then join the family as a regular member. Since they don't have the bloodlust of a full vampire, they wouldn't be the same danger as an immortal child and their creation wouldn't break any laws. They have the same if not greater need to hide their existence as vampires. The only thing I'm not sure of is whether hyrbids can have children themselves..." They might just end up creating a new super race if that was the case.
"So, you want my help to research the technology to develop an artificial womb to have the possibility to create a hybrid child from Bella's eggs?" Rosalie summarized.
Edward nodded. "Like I said, we're not even sure if we want to have children yet. But research like that can take many years, even if we bypass official channels. Your knowledge in medicine and mechanics could come in really handy. Would you... be interested in helping with it?"
Rosalie took a deep breath. She was silent for a moment, her eyes wandering between Leia and Edward. Emmet at her side scowled a bit confused. He'd figured that this was Edward's 'surprise' but couldn't understand what it had to do with Rosalie's wedding dress.
At last, Rosalie nodded. "I... I will help you, yes." She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, she looked at Leia.
"Not having any children of my own is my greatest regret to this day. There is nothing I wish for more. I thought you stupid for agreeing to throw away your chance at such a miracle by turning... But it looks like you can have the cake and eat it too. I... I envy your for that chance. But I'm not going to ruin my brother's chances to be a father because of that." She held out her hand and gave a shaky smile. "Peace?"
"Peace", Leia said with a wide smile and shook the offered hand. "But... There is something else you should know, Rosalie. This is all thanks to Edward - he came up with it once I mentioned hybrids were possible."
Rosalie looked to Edward confused. "What is possible?"
"Well", Edward made and shifted nervously, "While it is of course preferable and easier to use an actual female egg for fertilization because the technology for that is already well established... It is not strictly necessary. One could just as easily take an empty human egg and put half the DNA of a human somatic cell inside."
Emmet was the first to understand. He jumped to his feet, eyes wide. "You mean...?"
"That's why I, err, borrowed your old wedding gown that you kept from your human days", Edward admitted. "Carlisle ran some test on it and found a female human eyelash on it. We... We have your DNA, Rose. Your human DNA." He spread his hands a bit. "You and Emmet could have a baby of your own."
Rosalie stood utterly frozen for a few moments. Then she faltered a bit and sank back onto the couch. Her eyes were wide and starting to glimmer in a pink hue as tears gathered in them.
"I... I could..." she stammered, overwhelmed.
"You could have a baby one day", Edward said gently. "A little boy with Emmet's black hair and dimples, like you've always wanted."
"O-Oh", she made and Emmet hurried to take her in his arms, hushing her and trying to calm her.
"That's great news, isn't it? Can you imagine, the two of us, parents?!" he exclaimed and helped her wipe her tears.
"You really think it's possible?" Rose asked brokenly.
"As soon as I decided to run the tests, I called Alice to check", Edward said. "She starts to see huge blind spots in your life going forward in a few years. In Bella's vision, Alice couldn't see the hybrid just as she couldn't see the wolves. So unless you suddenly want to adopt a shifter..."
"It's possible", Rosalie muttered. "Its possible. I... I can be a mom!"
"You can be a mom! I can be a dad!" Emmet laughed and hugged her and finally Rosalie's face split into a huge grin. A moment later she was a blur and then she was clinging to Edward, hugging the life out of him.
"Thank you, Edward. Thank you so much!"
"Don't thank me yet, there's much work to be done", he said cheerfully.
"There's much more work involved in medical research than in just sitting around, eating for two", Leia added with a grin. "You'll literally have to work hard to make your baby."
"Thank you... Both of you", Rosalie repeated and to Leia's surprise, she then went and very carefully hugged her as well.
"To even just have hope... To have a chance... It means so much!" She gave Edward a playful shove. "I'll even forgive you for stealing my dress for that!"
XxX
AN: Oh my gosh, this was so much fun to write! Bella is feeling comfortable enough around Vader now to treat him like an actual Dad. Vader is totally lost, torn between accepting her affection and afraid he'll be hurt again.
Then there's Leia. I wondered what exactly I'd do with her until it was time for her to turn into a vampire. It just didn't fit her character to make her go the same route and have a hybrid baby. She's more responsible than that, she knows of the dangers and well, she's also from a society that could only scoff at something as mundane as pregnancy problems. She wouldn't accept that kind of thing. I also wanted to give Edward more to do and didn't want to cut out such a large portion of the Twilight plot completely - so there is going to be a hybrid baby, maybe, sometime far in the future. but it's not going to be Leia's. I think it's much more natural and sensible to give Rose her well deserved dimple baby instead. What do you think? Leave a review and let me know!