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Chapter 16

The Grand Slave Bazaar of Mos Espa was a labyrinthine architecture of wires and buildings.

Throughout it, Leia moved carefully.

Slavery was a disgusting, despicable act—it sickened her that the Republic had freely allowed it for a thousand years without consequence. But that hadn't exactly been by choice, right? It wasn't like they had dependable leadership. The rest of the Senators were good people, correct?

She helped clean up the bodies, fighting the nausea rising in her chest. She should roar in indignation. She should tell them both off. But for some reason, she couldn't find it within her to do so. The slavers were not innocent people at the end of the day. Luke already broke that down to her when that scoundrel scum went and killed guards in front of her without the bat of an eye.

While a few of the liberated already conscious and aware occupied the main area, Leia ventured deeper into the Bazaar, far from where the main slave pens had been. Here, it was obvious to Leia that this place had been left vacant. They had much work to do.

Leia reached one of the larger doors, wiping off the small amount of dust with her sleeve. It was ancient, heavy, and locked tight.

Was it possible that Vader didn't finish them all?

Knowing what those Jedi could do, she shouted, "Luke, Luke, I need a little help here!"

She waited for him until Luke finally joined her.

"Your Highness," he moved behind her.

Leia stiffened in fear, looking at his diminished blue eyes once again, still unable to believe that he was Darth Vader without the armor.

Kriff, Leia had to admit that he was strikingly handsome, even with the many scars marking his face, the most noticeable being a serrated scar along his left eye. They were alone. Well, mostly alone.

She licked her lips and looked down. "I don't think you finished here."

"There's no life forms on the other side, Leia," her name still sounded odd on his lips. She wondered what her alternative thought of their familial connection. The other her who likely experienced worse at the hands of this... being since this likely didn't happen last time.

A tense silence passed in the air. For a moment, she considered shooing him away and attempting to open the door herself, but it was clear that this was a task beyond simple physical effort.

Instead, she looked at him and spoke in her best commanding voice, "Open the door."

Vader stared at her.

"I want to look," she declared, her voice becoming unsteady the longer she was here.

Vader held her gaze for a moment before he relented. "As you wish."

Vader approached the door. His cybernetic arm angled toward it, the metal creaking in protest as he gripped the exterior. With a forceful tug, the lock bent and gave way with an audible crack, and the door cracked open.

The interior was pitch black. That wasn't surprising. Without his telekinetic tricks, Vader would be just as blind to what lay within as she was. But he showed no hesitation, moving within. Leia followed only a step behind him, her feet carrying her behind him.

Inside... it was just as kriffing hot as it was outside! As their eyes adjusted to the fading light filtering in from the doorway, they began to make out shapes in the gloom. Crates and barrels were stacked against each other, more than enough that Leia could physically carry without returning to the ship at once.

Vader remained silent, stepping aside and watching her move. Leia's trepidation grew as she moved further into the room, her eyes darting around, attempting to discern what exactly they had stumbled upon. She looked out for any threats, knowing that someone could crawl from the shadows and catch her in the back.

Shaking her head to dispel that old childhood fear, Leia continued moving.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened.

As she moved again, her boot landed on something that felt off—the floor jolted.

Before she could process what it was, a domineering hand clasped down on her shoulder, halting her dead in her tracks. The grip was stern, but not painful, and it would be a lie to claim that it didn't send some fear through her.

She stiffened, frowning at him.

Vader's answer came. "There are mines," he said.

Leia's heart skipped a beat as the revelation dawned on her. Hmph, he could be lying. Yet, what reason did he have to do so after getting them this far?

She slowly looked down at the floor beneath her feet. Landmines, likely left here for any bold fool who came down here, littered the area. The room was a death trap, and she had been seconds away from triggering it.

Saved by Vader.

Curiosity bit the bait. She forced herself to remain calm, her mind racing to piece together an escape. "Why are you helping me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vader didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stayed quiet for a moment, registering her. "Because you're my daughter," he finally conceded, the words tightening her heart.

"You were about to torture me for information," she pointed out.

Vader straightened more-if that was even possible. "Before, I had known only that you were a Rebel prisoner and nothing else."

Leia shook her head, her sense of duty flaring. "And I still am, despite our genetic connection."

"If I had known that you were my daughter, your conditions would have been... adjusted," Vader admitted.

"Adjusted?" Leia repeated the word, just feeling that he was telling the truth through the Force.

"I am obligated to protect both you and your brother from the Emperor and other external threats," Vader replied.

He looked undisturbed for a moment...

Before gripping her shoulder, "Leia!"

A shockwave of heat and light erupted from the far side of the room as one of the mines went off, ignited by something neither of them could see. Very likely, a backup contingency.

Instinctively, Vader's arm swept back, pulling Leia against his chest as a second explosion occurred, then a third, each one closer than the last.

Very quickly, the room transformed into a blinding chaos of fire and debris. The ground trembled beneath them as the chain reaction unfolded. Dust and smoke filled the air, making it nearly impossible to see. Leia's skin remained undisturbed, the sound of the explosions deafening in the enclosed space.

Through it all, Vader moved like a shadow, his form almost sinking with the darkness as he guided her through the havoc. It was as if he was absorbing the explosions himself, protecting her with his own body, ensuring that the blasts remained with him.

Finally, the last of the mines went off, leaving behind a room with smoke and the acrid stench of burnt ambers. The explosions had came to an end. Through the haze, Leia could just make out the crates and barrels, surprisingly somehow intact despite the destruction.

Why did it feel so... right being held by him? Why did her arms wrap around him on instinct and not want to let go? She didn't regret being raised by Bail Organa. She never would. After all, one could shudder at what Vader would have done to her and Luke psychologically. He would have probably molded them into unimaginable weapons who would slaughter massive populations in the galaxy. Ultimately, Darth Vader was not Anakin Skywalker.

There was no reason to think that he would have cared about the children he would not claim as his own.

"Are you alright?" Vader asked, his voice far softer than expected; almost worried.

Leia nodded numbly, tempted to keep her face buried against his shoulder. No, they were... well, no longer enemies, but she couldn't see him as her father.

Vader released her, and Leia's arms remained outstretched for a long second, before she, too, let go-darting her eyes away from her biological father in humiliation and shame.

Cautiously, she approached, her eyes scanning the supplies. The crates were marked with symbols from different factions, likely fractions from the Hutt Empire. She knelt beside one of the larger crates and pried it open. Inside, she found several useful supplies: weapons, ammunition, and healing essentials.

"Why do you care so much about me?" Leia asked with some bitterness, but it would be a lie to say that it wasn't without curiosity. "You don't have time to play father."

"Leia, I will never allow anyone to hurt you," Vader responded softly. "I want you to acknowledge me as your father. I am aware of your interpretation of me, of how much fear has been embedded in you about me; but I would never hurt you."

"What would you do-"

Vader's head pivoted to her slowly, arching an eyebrow. Him with facial expressions? Weird.

"-about my parents? Bail and Breha Organa? Interrogate them?" Leia elaborated.

"Anything they know, your brother is aware of by decades. The Organas are no longer a concern of mine," Vader replied flatly, his scorn for both of them still obvious. "And since you care about your manipulators, I would not bring harm to them."

She frowned. Her parents already knew who she was. "They did not manipulate me. For years, they'd raised me, fed me, nourished me, given me two parents, and given me a sister."

"They'd also hidden the truth from you," Vader pointed out. "They could have told you who your father was. Instead..." He clenched his mechanical arm into a fist, and his eyes flashed hotly. "I could have tortured my own daughter without knowing it because of them and the Jedi."

"You shouldn't torture anyone," she said tightly.

"Your Rebellion is a band of traitors, Leia, and for the longest time, the Emperor ordered me to hunt them down. I had no purpose in revolting."

"And so Luke gave you a nice little hug, and you suddenly decided to find yourself in the right standing of morality?" Leia taunted bitingly.

"Your brother, as well as you, belongs to me. You will remain at my side, and I will protect you. I won't fail any of you. You will accept me."

Leia scowled. She had decided to abandon the argument there and focus on another thing of concern for now. "We'll take what we can carry," she said, turning back to the crates. "The rest… we'll figure out a way to get it to our people."

As she worked, Vader remained close by. He watched over her like a silent guardian, ensuring that no further danger lurked in the shadows.

She gathered the crates onto a small speeder and made sure they were secure before loading herself aboard, looking at him.

Rage boiled up inside Vader. His interaction with Leia unnerved him, causing his control to slip when he was last away from her. His eyes burning a hot gold, Vader knew he had to release himself before he lost it. Thankfully, convenient targets were still available. It was an incredible thing that there were other settlements on Tatooine with diminished slave markets and slavers to use under his wrath.

Vader showed no mercy as their despicable lives flickered out. When word spread about what had happened, some decided that if they couldn't have their merchandise, no one could. But a great number of slaves were saved. Forcibly taking control of the droids, he ordered them to remove their chips permanently. Without the tower sending power, their chips were dismantled for the short term. It was likely that would change shortly.

By the time he finished, his control was more or less intact once again.

Standing over the bodies of the final marketplace, Vader deactivated his lightsaber, momentarily recalling their screams of horror, the feeling of him letting loose and giving into the Dark Side yet again. It was no wonder that the Emperor attempted to restrain him.

Only three slaves were hit in the crossfire. A well-received number, if Vader was to be frank. His hunger fed, Vader regained control of himself, though his frustration remained.

His daughter shouldn't fear him.

"You're free," Vader said coldly to the other group of slaves, sensing a familiar surge passing through the Force which ended up coming closer.

He folded his arms across his chest as the rescued each gathered what little personal belongings they might have before exiting.

Luke came to his side and looked on knowingly, not with disappointment or anger. Just acceptance. "By your sulking, I'm going to assume you've spoken with Leia."

"Indeed," Vader confirmed. "She still fears me." His stoic mask cracked, allowing a moment of sheer weakness to prevail.

"She doesn't know you," Luke offered with sickening compassion.

Vader's hand clenched into a fist at his side, "She is my daughter. That's all that she needs to know."

"Who was raised believing she was a child adopted in the middle of a war zone."

"That is irrelevant," Vader replied icily.

"I doubt that you gave off the pleasant first impression when she'd first saw you many years ago."

"She doesn't realize that my guardianship over you wouldn't have been equating to that of torment. I would have seen to give you the childhood you deserved."

"She saw what you did to Marek..."

"He was merely a puppet. The Emperor needed him as an agent. If it had been you or her, the situation would have been different."

Luke sighed. "Do you really believe that you could be any type of father to us?"

"Of course. I'm here now." Vader pointed out through gritted teeth.

"You being any type of 'father' to us and your very existence as the embodiment of Imperial brutality are mutually exclusive situations. Darth Vader only existed because you believed that your children, any kind of loving relationship, or future we could have died forever."

"I would have found a way, Son. You are both my responsibility. You're equally mine."

"Your 'identity' was still being formed in the earlier years, so we could say it would be possible for you to abandon Palpatine and his manipulations. However, that would mean being hunted down by Palpatine, surviving Jedi, and such, with two kids, and I don't see you being physically and emotionally healthy enough to successfully deal with that situation. Knowing the kind of insidious, abusive cruelties Sidious put Maul through, this would quickly become a nightmare scenario for both of us. And even if you were wise enough to put an end to it, judging from what happened originally, that confrontation would likely be fatal for you. So, in all likelihood, you probably wouldn't raise us either."

Incredulity quickly followed by anger rose within his heart. "You're saying it was best Kenobi and Yoda hid you from me?"

"No, what would have been the best outcome was my mother surviving, and you and her raising us, even if you both had to do so in secret. That was really the only option."

"She'd wanted to run off to Naboo and live our lives."

"That isn't what would have happened because either Sidious would not allow it or the Republic would have collapsed around you and I doubt she would take that well. The Jedi wouldn't have been able to regain control of the Republic."

"The Jedi believed they could have assumed control over the Republic to ensure a peaceful transition of power. The very idea of Jedi assuming the Chancellorship was absurd."

"It is. Palpatine is a master of subterfuge and infiltration. He is the direct result of the Banites managing to work in the shadows. He has contingency plans that would destroy the Jedi and the Republic. That aside, the Republic was already in the Sith's favor. Doing so without military or political influence would add fuel to the fire. In actuality, preventing the Jedi coup would be a better option, as many wouldn't care if Sidious is a Sith, and almost nobody would believe that he orchestrated the war. If the Jedi successfully kill Sidious, they are better off, but only slightly, because there would be no Darth Vader to hunt down the remaining Jedi. But that doesn't mean they walk off into the sunset. It means that Palpatine is now known as the best Chancellor in Galactic History, and the Jedi killed him for having a different religious view at best, or wanting to stamp out corruption at worst."

That was what he'd appreciated about Luke. He had a brain. Much more than the Jedi could have ever said. Luke's Order may be compelling to witness.

"They were fools. They deserved to be wiped out."

"The Jedi believed that because they were the good people, they were entitled to win. Obi-Wan failed as a teacher. He had just finished his training, and he didn't have the knowledge or experience needed to take on a Padawan, especially one of your caliber. The Jedi failed as protectors and peacekeepers. They developed a holier-than-thou mentality towards the rest of the galaxy. The Republic failed as a Democracy. It allowed the Trade Federation to pillage Naboo, and it allowed the Hutts to enslave people. By the time they found out, the Republic was already the Empire in all but name." Luke's face became sharp. "That doesn't mean they deserve to be wiped out. It may have been a necessary wake-up call, but you can't blame the Jedi for choking your wife. That was your decision."

Rage gripped him. "She shouldn't have come to Mustafar in the first place!" he hissed. "I gave her specific orders to wait for me to return. If she had, we could have saved-"

"Do you really believe Palpatine would have allowed her to live after me and my sister were born?" Luke inquired in a clipped tone. "She would have been a threat to Sidious and his plans. The most likely scenario is that Palpatine abducted me and Leia, raised us as his heirs, while he either cast you aside or used you until we were fully trained in the Dark Side."

Vader's eyes widened.

"Deception is the way of the Sith. Leia is many things, but watchful is one of them. Understandably, she believes you might betray us; take us away from the people who love us and use our agony against us."

A lengthy pause passed as Vader pondered this information.

He would have to show his daughter that he wouldn't ever harm her.

His daughter was even more rebellious than his son; unlike Luke. Luke had decades of experience and witnessed so much horror, but mentally was controlled and mature. Leia was still young; a child in more ways than one. It made her susceptible to manipulation, as Skywalker had been.

The galaxy's nature was cruel, something Anakin Skywalker had learned before Vader cut him down.

Something about the statement bit into him, however. He looked at his son and frowned, "Where does she think I'm taking both of you?"

"To the Emperor," he said instantly.

"No!" he boomed suddenly, filled with possessive anger. He snarled, "I am not letting him anywhere near her." The idea of Palpatine getting his rotten, insidious, cold, hands on his children caused Vader to clench his teeth. Vader had served the Emperor for years and knew that everything and every one the Emperor touched was led down a path of destruction and decay. He would incinerate the galaxy before he allowed any of his children to be twisted by that monster, especially his immature daughter. Both were his, and the Emperor would never come near or between them.

Not as he did their parents...

Luke looked at him. "Then you know what you must do."

Vader nodded...

"I shall prove myself to Leia."

No matter how long it took...

Author's note: This has been pointed out a couple of times. The reason why Vader obsesses over Leia more than Luke is based on how Anakin treats women, specifically Shmi and Padmé. Vader would be far more PROTECTIVE over Leia than Luke.

Likewise, Padmé would have definitely been more protective over Luke, in my opinion. Luke is more Padmé's son, whereas Leia is more Anakin/Vader's daughter. Perhaps it's due to my own agreements where both of the kids lean towards their father, but I do think their similarities with their mother are vastly overlooked. No, I'm not saying that one or the other was their favorite child, but it's just a matter of their personalities meaning they would connect far more closely.

I have seen all types of stories where Emperor Vader and Empress Padmé are completely evil and heartless to the twins. While in idea of them being in darkness is an interesting concept, I feel like they would only be possessive with their kids and still love them. I can't even see torture as the last resort. I can still see either twin wanting to leave that life behind if they get tired of ruling but I doubt any of their parents would want to let them go and would still love them no matter what.

May the Force be with you all always.