In all his time, never had he come across such a rebellious and tenacious child. No threats of dismemberment or eviction would successfully coax her into opening the door and dining with him, nor did the compromise of leaving the food directly outside for her to collect privately at her own discretion. Whenever Vader returned to check on the marble door of her room, he noticed that the tray of food he had left behind was still untouched. It frustrated him greatly, seeing this offer of peace so easily rejected.

"She will not eat, not as long as she knows that the tray was prepared by me," he complained to Reva. "You are the only one who can successfully manage her whims. Make her eat."

However, when Reva showed up with the same tray attempting to persuade the princess into eating, she was also met with the same resistance. Eventually, she lost her temper and fell back onto old habits.

"You have to eat," she snarled, "Open this door right now or I will kick it down!"

"Go ahead!" Leia yelled back. "I wish you would!"

Given that she could not threaten to cut off Leia's hand, Reva was forced to accept defeat at the hands of the princess.

"If you would please, my Lord," Reva said in an attempt to placate him. "In the morning, when it is time for the first meal of the day, the brat will surely crack. She has been living in the lap of luxury and has never gone without a single meal her entire life. Her hunger will overcome her, after which she will be forced to accept your offer of sustenance."

Vader was still displeased, but he had other matters to attend to and places to be. He begrudgingly agreed to humor her plan, despite how little faith he had in it. The next morning, he returned to personally check on the status of the breakfast tray that Reva was instructed to leave in front of the girl's door.

It was, unsurprisingly, completely untouched. The freshly baked bread had gone cold and hard. Vader sneered, irritated.

For a moment, he contemplated taking the door off its hinges and marching in himself. But there was something deeply unappealing about this option that stopped him. All of their last encounters had ended disastrously, with him losing his temper and bringing the child to tears. Were it any other brat, he would not have cared. Yet, something about seeing the girl's lip quiver and her face scrunch up with anger towards him made him uncomfortable. Perhaps it was her uncanny resemblance to her mother, or the way she looked so different when interacting with Obi-Wan. He had seen the way that he held her and comforted her, just with a small touch or by gently calling her name. It stirred in him a feeling he could not quite comprehend, one made even more strange by the knowledge that such love could have been his.

Why does her love come so easily to him, but not me?

And so Vader pondered his options carefully before finally using his last trick.

Another hour passed, and no one came by Leia's door to threaten or bribe her. She began to grow suspicious, but part of her hoped that perhaps they had finally decided to leave her alone.

"All the better," she muttered to herself as she continued to fiddle with LOLA's broken flying mechanism. The droid fluttered weakly in her arms. "I know, I'm sorry," Leia mumbled.

When she heard a quick knock on her door, she immediately scrambled to hide everything underneath her bed.

"I'm not coming out," Leia called out stubbornly.

There was no response.

Breathing rapidly, she crawled underneath the bed and waited for either Vader or Reva to burst in and threaten her with a lightsaber. When nothing happened, she slowly stuck her head out from below, curiosity piqued.

She did not dare open the door, not for anything in the world. However, there was a small gap underneath through which she could peek. After taking precautions to ensure that there was no truly no one else on the other side, and that she was not about to be unpleasantly surprised by a smack to the face, she crawled up close and stuck her head to the floor.

On the other side of the door was the japor necklace that Ben had given her.

Blinking slowly, she stuck out her hand and tried to push it through the gap underneath the door. When that did not work, she grunted and made a grasping motion towards the necklace. Taking deep breaths, she forced her mind to be focused. All of her energy and concentration was put towards trying to pull the necklace towards her.

After seeing Ben use the Force, she had come to see it as both an extension of one's person and a muscle that needed to be trained. At first, she had barely been able to lift up a fork. But over time, she had gotten stronger and more adept at it. Yesterday she had mustered the strength to flip a tray in Vader's face and create a very small, very feeble force field. However this feat had sapped her of her energy and since then, she had been too exhausted to lift anything smaller than a pebble. But now, she wanted nothing more badly than to reach out and grab the necklace. Closing her eyes, she tried to open her mind back to the feeling of power beyond herself that she had tapped into yesterday and felt around for the ivory pendant.

A few seconds later, the necklace flew across the floor and right into the waiting fingers of her eager hand. Leia clutched it close to her chest for a second, the hastily looped its string around her neck so that she could keep it close to her heart. She quietly traced the grooves on of its smooth wood, familiarizing herself with them.

Later on, she crawled back into bed and fell asleep clutching the wood charm. She could not have Ben, but at least his gift had been returned to her. Thus, for the first time in a while, she slept comfortably without crying. By the time she woke up, she found that she had developed a healthy appetite and did not say no to the tray that was deposited again outside her door.

When Vader returned later, he was pleasantly surprised to be informed that Leia did not object to the lunch that was served to her. Relieved, he instructed Reva to inform Leia that he would be expecting her for dinner. Although his tone exuded outward confidence, he did not dare visit her himself for fear of a rejection that might cut through the delusion and shatter his frail hope. It was to his surprise when Reva returned, replying that Leia had finally agreed to come dine with him. But he did not like to wear such emotions on his sleeve, and so he masked his surprise with arrogance.

"Of course, it is just as I expected," he said. Reva made no reply. With that he sent her away and returned to his work, feigning indifference.

However, as he turned back towards the holoprojector, he found that his hands were both trembling with anticipation. Despite the hard leather gloves that he had fitted over them, and despite their artificial robotic nature, he could not hide the relief that washed over him and made his fingers shake with jubilation. Of course, he was merely pleased by the triumph of his own ingenious maneuver, the satisfaction of having finally won over the brat's stubbornness. Her reaction meant nothing to him, only her cooperation, so he told himself.

Nonetheless, he waited with bated breath for the evening to come. When Lord Sidious requested his presence, he found himself declining the invitation.

"I am sorry, Master. I do not mean to offend you," Vader insisted. "However, I must retire this evening. It has been a rather grueling day."

Lord Sidious seemed surprised, having not expected his refusal. But he still reacted graciously. "Of course, my dear friend," he replied. "You have worked exceedingly hard, especially during your capture of Kenobi. I believe you have earned this repose."

In the moments immediately afterwards, Vader felt a pregnant tension hang between them. He felt as though there might be an implied obligation on his part to respond by clarifying whether or not he had finally executed Kenobi. However, as if he understood his feelings on the matter, Lord Sidious did not question him further on Kenobi's fate and instead spent some time discussing their usual matters of business.

Before they ended the call however, Lord Sidious made one last statement. "Please do take care of yourself, my boy," he said, surprising him. "I will check in on you later to determine if your health has improved."

Vader blinked, surprised.

"Thank you, Master," he said, slightly embarrassed but grateful. "I appreciate your concern."

After they had finished talking, Vader turned off the holoprojector with a slight feeling of unease. He did not like to resort to dishonesty, much less so when it came to his Master. However, he could not tell him the true reason for his absence. Leia was not to be spoken of, and her existence had to remain a secret at all costs.

As he retired to his meditation chamber, he began to wonder if he made the right choice. Declining a meeting with his Master to speak with the brat might convey the wrong message, painting him as a weak and heavily attached man. Yet he could not pass up on the opportunity. Despite himself, he hungered for, even craved her attention. Although he had long foregone the need for nourishment, to him it was like a food that he could not refuse, one that both greatly excited and displeased him. He told himself that he did not care for her and he could easily cut her off whenever. But in the very essence of his soul, there was a part of him that was still reluctant to let go of it.

It was a strange, but not altogether unfamiliar feeling. In a past life, he had already known of a woman whose heart was kind and whose soul was easy to love, so much that all those surrounding her fell in love with her quite easily (much to his displeasure). He wondered if perhaps that same part of him that had loved her was still alive. He had thought it to be a figment of the past, but perhaps it was not removed entirely.

It was natural for me to love her, he thought to himself. I suppose whatever I feel for the child is just an extension thereof.

"Obi-Wan," Ahsoka called out, trying to stimulate a new Force connection as she attempted to use the Second Sight for herself. "Obi-Wan, where are you? Do you hear me?"

She waited for a few terrifying minutes, dread pooling in her stomach as she imagined the worst. But finally a response came.

"Yes, dear. I am here."

Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she exclaimed. "I was worried something happened to you! Don't scare me like that," she scolded.

"I'm sorry, I do not mean to keep you waiting. I was slightly...preoccupied," Obi-Wan mumbled.

Ahsoka frowned.

"What do you mean preoccupied?" she asked, confused.

Obi-Wan did not respond, and for a second she thought they lost connection. But after a moment, he spoke again. "It's nothing, dear. I was just napping."

Napping? While they were in a hostage crisis?

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes and used the Force to peer deeper into Obi-Wan's mind. In that moment, she felt a strange absence and a more recent loss. Shaking slightly, she sat up with alarm.

"What happened to your legs?" she demanded suddenly, realizing that she had not seen Obi-Wan and had no idea of his current state. "Did Anakin...did he do this to you?" she asked, both horrified and angry.

Obi-Wan panicked. "It is alright, Ahsoka," he tried to assure her. "The medical droids have taken care of it, I am not in any immediate danger-"

"No!" Ahsoka said angrily, "He cannot treat you like this. I am so upset with him right now," she glowered, "I can't believe he would do something like this to you!"

Obi-Wan tried frantically to calm her. "Ahsoka, he is not in his right mind...I cannot be angry with him, not in the state that he is-"

"Well, I can!" Ahsoka snorted irritably. "Why is he doing this to you? Did something happen to make him go crazy like this? When I find him, I'm going to-"

"Ahsoka, no!" Obi-Wan cried out, still trying to distract her. "Please, do not let him draw you to the Dark Side. I cannot lose both of you!"

Ahsoka took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but her fury continued to simmer below the surface. Why was Anakin doing this? She had her own gripes with Obi-Wan, but this was absolutely unacceptable.

"Please, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan begged again, and she groaned, still trying to clear her mind.

"Why do you let him do this to you?" she asked. "You should be spitting and cursing his name! That's what I would do if he tried that on me," she muttered.

"I have no right to be angry with him," Obi-Wan replied. "I have done the same to him. I cannot complain, so long as he still leaves me with my head."

Ahsoka frowned. She still didn't have all the pieces to the puzzle of what had gone down. She had made some conjectural guesses, of course, but she still didn't know what went down at Mustafar. But she knew Obi-Wan to be a righteous man, and if he had intentionally dismembered Anakin using mou kei, that would have been a direct violation of the Jedi Code and led him to the Dark Side.

"That doesn't make it right, though," she mumbled.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He would not feel sorry for himself, not while Anakin was still suffering. He did not trust himself to respond.

"Does it hurt?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, forgetting that she could not see him. "No," he replied. "Not anymore. The droids have pumped me full of painkiller."

Ahsoka exhaled. "Okay," she said, although she did not feel much relief. "That's...good."

A few moments passed. Finally, Obi-Wan decided to break the silence. "So, what is it that you wished to discuss, dear?"

Ahsoka bit her lip, deep in thought. "Well...I thought about what you suggested to me yesterday and, I do think there might be some merit to your idea."

"Don't do it on my behalf, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan murmured guiltily. "You should not force yourself."

"I know," Ahsoka said. "That's why, I'm going to add some changes to it. But I want to hear your thoughts on it first."

It was late in the evening when Reva finally called on her and came to help dress her. The two of them got on with the task in silence, refusing to address the altercation they had the night before. However, she requested permission to put on the zeyd cloth coat herself. She took her time with each button, trying to draw out the moments. It felt as if she was getting ready to be escorted to her last meal.

Leia took a deep breath, wondering if she had made the right decision.

She did not particularly want to speak to Vader. She did not want to dine with him, and she would rather not see his silhouette darkening the floors of the hallway ever again.

However, if she showed resistance again, he might not try to be civil with her anymore. Her father had taught her the basics of negotiation, and how a certain amount of leniency was necessary. Right now, she had the most leverage over the situation. It would be foolish to waste this opportunity.

Additionally, there was the fact that Vader still held much control over Ben and Ahsoka. She had no idea where they were or how they were doing, and if she attempted to visit them she would surely be punished. Attempting to break into their cells would not fare well for her. Attempting to get into their captor's good graces, however, might increase all of their chances of survival. She knew that neither of them would approve of this plan, and would probably order her to forget about them instead. But she could not.

And so, Leia allowed herself to be escorted by Reva to the room where Vader awaited her.

She had been expecting a Spartan affair, perhaps some tasteless gray gruel accompanied by plain hot water, all to be enjoyed in a dimly lit cave of darkness. But instead, she found herself standing in a well-lit room. Before her was an enormous table, upon which a white tablecloth had been placed. However, the tablecloth was not visible, for every inch was covered with delicious foodstuffs all competing at the same time for attention; roasted Bantha meat dripping with oil and salt, vegetables cooked in butter and covered in fragrant herbs, starblossom that had been covered in a hard sugar candy shell, sweet cakes filled with cream and indigo berries, and a teapot full of fragrant Mintea. Reva pulled out a chair for her, helped her climb into it, and then left without another word.

She did not see him at first. Her sight was obstructed by the heaping piles of food. But she finally spotted him, standing across from her and exuding confidence. He seemed triumphant, as if he had won.

"We meet again. How kind of you to join me."

Normally, this might have come off as sardonic, or even angry. But by now, she had learned to distinguish when he was angry.

No, this was not anger. This was...something else.

Leia frowned.

She had not taken him as the sort of person to be capable of jokes.

"Thank you," she said warily. He finally sat down across from her, apparently satisfied.

She shuffled in her seat and Vader motioned at her, seemingly requesting something. Confused, she thought he was asking for her to pass her the serving dish next to her, only to realize that he had no plate of his own. Presumably, this meant he did not eat or did not find this food to his taste. She frowned, appalled by the possibility that he did not eat food like a normal human being. No wonder he was such a weird person. She highly doubted that he was abstaining in order to fulfill a plant-based diet like the Ithorians. After all, why would someone who had killed millions of lives be concerned about the plight of livestock?

Vader made another grabbing motion, and she realized he wanted her to hand him the teacup in front of her. She obliged, holding it out towards him, and it floated out of her hands towards him. Vader then made a motion with his other hand and the teakettle tipped itself over, pouring a cup of tea for her.

He's showing off again, she thought to herself warily, although not without a hint of jealousy. I wish I could do that.

"You may begin eating now," he informed her.

"I don't need your permission," she retorted, but he did not take offense. Instead, he watched her closely as she reached out and began serving herself. As she took the first bite of buttered steamed fish, her eyes widened. Perhaps it was the hours of self-imposed starvation, but suddenly everything tasted delicious to her. She found herself reaching for more and trying a little bit of everything.

Vader watched her all the while, his arms crossed.

"How is the food?" he asked. As always, his tone was filtered through the vocoder, but she could detect a hint of smugness.

"It's passable," she said.

Vader made a small snort. It sounded like he was amused.

Leia frowned and put her fork down, narrowing her eyes. "What's in this?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing poisonous."

Leia immediately spat out what was in her mouth and started coughing.

"I see that you still do not trust my word," Vader said, although there was no vitriol in his tone. "I assure you, there is nothing harmful that could possibly pose a danger to you. Unless you have a sensitivity to koja nuts."

"I'm not eating any more of this," Leia said. "I'm not hungry anymore." She made as if to stand up to leave.

"Ah," Vader said. "Very well then. Can you at least tell me what the candy in that jar to your left tastes like?" he asked, motioning at a plate next to her.

Leia wanted to throw the whole jar at him instead, but her curiosity got the better of her and she turned to look at it. "What is this?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just some simple figda candy."

The jar slid towards her invitingly. Leia narrowed her eyes at Vader as he lazily flicked his finger to make it move, then furtively hid his hand underneath the table. Her instincts were telling her not to listen to him. However, she did have a bit of a sweet tooth. Hesitating slightly, she reached her hand into the jar and withdrew one of the ruby-like candies. She slowly placed it on her tongue and gingerly sucked on it. It tasted vaguely floral, but overall pleasant.

"How is it?" Vader asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"It's alright," she said sulkily.

Vader smirked. Leia turned away and ignored him, sucking on the rest of the candy quietly. She found herself reaching for another piece before realized what she was doing and she froze midway. Her cheeks flushed bright red as if she was a child being caught in the act of stealing from the cookie jar. She immediately withdrew her hand and put it down.

"What's the meaning of this?" she demanded suspiciously. "You were threatening to kill me earlier. Why are you suddenly being nice to me?"

"Ah," Vader said, his tone still smug. "I was hoping we could move past that earlier disagreement. You will have to forgive me, I temporarily lost sight of myself." Leia almost rolled her eyes at how condescending he sounded. "You see, I came to the realization that perhaps I have taken the wrong approach to our relationship."

Leia narrowed her eyes. So he's still going on about the whole father thing. Great.

"I sought to model my role after that of a commanding officer. But I see now that was an error. You are not one of my subordinates."

"So what did you learn then?"

"A father can be an authority figure. But that is not all. A father's role is also to lead, to offer support. And that is what I have failed to do with you. I will seek to rectify this error."

How about you stop holding my friends hostage? Leia wanted to say, but she did not wish to push her luck.

"So that's your plan?" she asked sarcastically. "You're going to support me until I agree to join you?"

"That is only part of it."

Leia raised an eyebrow.

"I realized that I cannot change you with fear. Fear is a weak motivator; it is a whim and not a conviction from the heart. People are only temporarily submissive because of fear, and even then, fear can fade. Fear is of no use to me.

Love, however, is the ultimate source of obedience. You have said it yourself, that you would not listen to me unless you loved me. Thus, I have decided to make you love me instead."

Leia nearly dropped her fork from shock.

Make her love him?

She would rather die.

"Who could possibly love a monster like you?" she spat angrily.

She expected him to fly into a rage and seize one of the carving knives to stab her with it. But instead, Vader just smirked and leaned back lazily.

"I can name at least one person who did," he replied smugly.

Leia stared at him with confusion.

Ben? Ahsoka?

"She looked quite a lot like you, in fact."

Leia froze.

Visions of the pretty brown-haired woman flooded her mind. Her laughter, her smile, the gentle touch of her hands stroking and caressing her hair. She shivered as a chill ran down her back. She clamped her mouth shut, refusing to let him know that he had successfully gotten inside her head. She was afraid to speak, lest her heart betray what she was thinking.

Vader smirked triumphantly.

"If you are good and can learn to behave yourself, then I would be happy to tell you more about your mother."

Leia did not respond.

Vader stood up and began to walk away leisurely. Although he wished to see her expression, he did not turn around to look as he left the girl behind him. So instead he continued towards his personal chamber, gloating all the way.

She may have beaten him in the first match, but Vader had won the war. Now, all he had to do was set the trap and wait.