Vader's comlink buzzed repeatedly, making quite a bit of a racket. Instead of picking up the call, he tapped the silencer button with an air of slight annoyance before shutting it off completely.

Leia watched him silently, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She was still not used to having his full attention on her.

"Is that important?" she asked. "Maybe you should answer it," she suggested cautiously.

"No," Vader replied coldly. There was a pause. Neither of them spoke for several seconds.

Leia stared down at her food. Although Vader had called her out to have a meal with him, he had not eaten a single bite himself. She had expected the same arrogant demeanor from the last time they talked, but instead he was strangely irritable and more withdrawn. He had not even tried to engage in conversation with her.

Instead, they sat in silence while he watched her eat. It made her feel rather self-conscious. Normally around this time of the year, her father would usually wake her up with some presents before escorting her to a grand banquet attended by all of her extended relations and then showing her off to the entirety of Alderaan. But instead here she was eating by herself, trying not to squirm under the gaze of the Galaxy's most feared commander.

I miss you, Daddy, she thought to herself mournfully. What she would give for the ability to send her family a message right now. She began to wonder if maybe she could steal Vader's comlink and use it without him noticing somehow. Yeah, right. He'd skewer me with his lightsaber like a nerf kebab.

Deciding to just get the meal over with as fast as possible, she quickly finished her bowl and pushed it away from her.

"I'm done," she announced hastily. "Can I go back to my room now?"

"No."

Vader did not seem to be in a good mood today.

I probably shouldn't mention that it's my birthday, she decided. I don't know how he would react to that news. He might force me to eat a poisoned cake or burn me alive using the candles instead.

Leia clenched her skirt with both of her hands from underneath the table and fidgeted nervously. She glanced furtively at the door behind her. If she made a run for it, she might be able to escape. But even if Vader couldn't catch up to her on foot, he could just as easily use the Force to grab her.

"Are you going to eat too?" she asked.

"No."

Leia squirmed in her seat.

"Why don't you eat?" she asked, only realizing after the words left her mouth how blunt they sounded. "Aren't you hungry too?"

Vader stared down at her intimidatingly. "I do not experience the sensation of hunger," he replied. "Eating is not required for me."

Alright, alright, I guess he doesn't want to.

"Well what do you do then if you don't eat and don't sleep?"

Vader paused. Leia flinched slightly, waiting for him to flip the table over and crush her to pieces.

"I meditate," he said coldly.

"What?"

"I meditate," he repeated. "In my personal quarters, I have a meditation chamber that allows me to breathe without any assistance."

"Oh," Leia said. "What do you mean 'without any assistance'?" she blurted out.

"Unfortunately, I cannot survive without this mask. In my personal chambers, I am able to remove it for a limited period. During this time it is possible for me to enter a state similar to sleep, however, I seldom dream. When I do, I do not derive any pleasure from it. Therefore I do not see it as necessary."

Leia blinked.

"So you can take it off?" she asked.

"Yes. Briefly."

She realized she was looking directly at him and sensed that he was also aware of her impertinence. However, she did not turn away.

"Can I see what you look like?"

Vader stiffened immediately and the aura around him became dark and heavy. Leia instantly regretted her question.

"No, you may not."

Leia gripped the table tightly, taking a deep breath.

"Has anyone else ever seen what you look like?"

"No one. I've killed them all."

"Are you going to kill me?"

Vader looked down at her. Leia looked back up at him, biting her lip to prevent it from quivering.

"No."

Leia stared up at him, feeling a strange mixture of relief and confusion in her stomach.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what."

"Why aren't you going to kill me?"

"I don't want to," Vader mumbled apathetically.

"Does that mean you don't like the idea of killing me, or you just don't want to because you're not in the mood?"

"I just don't want to, that's all. Maybe I will change my mind later," he snapped at her, but upon seeing her reaction he retracted slightly. "I have killed my fair share of Younglings in my time, but that was back when the Empire was still in its nascent form. Right now the threat of the Jedi has almost completely been eradicated. I do not see any point to further bloodshed when I have already captured what I need."

Right. He just wanted Ben, Leia thought bitterly. If it wasn't for me, Ben and Ahsoka would probably have escaped without him threatening them.

She had known that Vader had killed other children, both her age and younger. However, hearing him admit it to her made her feel strange. His voice was completely cold and emotionless, devoid of any trace of guilt. She had always thought that if he was ever to admit his crimes to her, he might attempt to trick or manipulate her by feigning remorse. But there was none to be found. He sounded exactly the same, casually confessing to being responsible for those children's deaths as if it was nothing.

No, not just being responsible.

He murdered them.

"Why did they have to be eliminated?" Leia swallowed hard, forcing herself to sit straight as she looked him in the eye again. "Why would they be dangerous if they were just children?"

"Because," Vader said, "They would have grown up to become Jedi, after which their powers would pose a threat to the Empire."

Leia frowned but restrained herself from commenting, waiting to see what he meant.

"That is why we have Inquisitors to keep a close look on their population and ensure that none of them will commit treason again. In this way, their threat level is kept to a minimum and we are able to maintain the peace."

"But the Inquisitors are Force Users too," Leia frowned. "So why do you allow them?"

"I am not opposed to others who use the Force. It is only the fact that there were so many of them. Back then, the Jedi Temple was crawling with Force-sensitive children taken from planets all across the Galaxy. If they were allowed to live, they might have attempted to overthrow the Emperor and restore the Republic for themselves."

"But the Emperor is a tyrant," Leia argued. "Wouldn't it be better for the Republic to replace the Empire?"

"No," Vader snapped and she flinched. "Under the Republic, the Senate was rife with corruption, misery, tension...there was constant war. You know nothing of the horrors that went on during those times."

Leia looked down. "But you were part of that, weren't you?" she asked quietly. "Ahsoka told me about you...about her Master. You were a General. The clones, your soldiers...they looked up to you, you know."

Vader turned and glared at her, and instantly she felt her entire body freeze up. The air surrounding them became cold, and Leia was suddenly aware of the fact that it was just the two of them. If she screamed, nobody would hear her, and certainly no one would come running to save her.

"What an impertinent mouth your dear friend has," he sneered. "I wonder what other little stories she has been poisoning your mind with."

Leia felt a chill run down her spine.

"She didn't say anything," she exclaimed. "All she said is that she fought by your side, and that she misses Anakin Skywalker-"

"Do not call me by that name!" Vader snapped, and Leia flinched, her hands flying to protect her face.

Seconds passed.

Leia cowered, still waiting for him to Force-Choke her. Vader reached out, his hand slightly shaky, but hastily withdrew it. Leia hid her face in her hands, trembling with fear.

"Why are you hiding your face?" Vader stammered, looking irritated. "Look at me," he demanded, and Leia obeyed fearfully by lowering her hands. She stared back up at him, feeling herself shaking in her chair. Vader looked back down at her and for a second, he seemed to feel sorry.

The child and the man both watched each other silently. Neither of them dared to move, until finally Vader broke the silence first.

"Why are you still afraid of me?"

Leia opened her mouth to answer, but her voice was still caught in her throat.

Vader frowned.

"I said I wasn't going to hurt you. Why do you keep trying to hide from me?"

Leia swallowed again, trying to force her palpitating heart to calm down.

"Because," she stuttered, "You kill children. You hurt Ben and Ahsoka," she said, the accusation flying out of her mouth before she could stop it. "You're not...a good person," she mumbled. "And you could kill me at any moment."

Vader paused and sat back, struck speechless as if no one had ever dared to speak to him like this before.

"I wouldn't kill you. You are my daughter. I will not let anything come between us, not even death. You have no reason to fear it."

"But I do," Leia spat back, her face growing hot. "That's why I have to stay a secret. If the Emperor finds out about me, he'll kill me," she said bitterly.

Vader looked startled. "He wouldn't-"

"Don't lie!" Leia yelled. "You said it yourself! Force-sensitive children are a threat to the Empire," she mumbled. Her eyes felt wet, but she did not want him to see her cry, so she turned away from him and crossed her arms. "You know what he does to them, better than anyone else," she hissed accusatorily.

Vader's shoulders shook, as if he was horrified by the implications of her words. Oh, so even a monster like him can feel guilt after all, she thought bitterly.

"You have nothing to worry about. The only Force Sensitives that are targeted for mandatory execution are Rebels."

"And so what if I was a filthy Rebel? Would you kill me?" Leia demanded.

"No," Vader snapped, "But I certainly would not approve of it-"

"Be honest!" Leia yelled. "You would have killed me yourself if you didn't know I was your daughter! I would have died at your hands!"

Vader paused as if conflicted.

"You wouldn't die," he started again, trying to regain control of the conversation. "The Emperor is merciful to those who obey his authority. You could become an Inquisitor, and stay by my side-"

"No he isn't," Leia glared at him. "He's a tyrant who enslaves all those who disagree with him, and you know it. They say he has an all-seeing eye at his right side who tells him everything and knows all the secrets of the Galaxy. You wouldn't be able to protect me from him."

"Yes, I could!" Vader snapped. "My power-"

"I don't care about your power!" Leia snapped back. "I don't want it! It's built upon the suffering and pain of others," she said angrily.

"What is the point of letting others suffer, if not to protect you?"

"What is the point of protecting me, if it causes others to suffer?"

Both father and daughter were now locked in a heated battle, glaring at each other. Leia narrowed her eyes and kept her back straight, willing herself to not give in first. Vader glared back for a few seconds then suddenly turned away, morose.

"I can see that you are not grateful for my offer," he spat. "In that case, I will take my leave."

With that, he stood up and began to walk away.

Suddenly all of the bravado drained out of Leia's body and she found herself standing up in a panic.

"Wait!" she yelled, causing him to whirl back around. She felt embarrassed, shocked by the desperation in her own voice. "Don't...go," she stammered, and Vader stopped moving. "Take me with you," she commanded, feeling her face heat up.

Vader stared at her, incredulous.

"You want to come with me?"

"Yes," Leia said imperiously, her cheeks turning red. "To...to wherever it is that you keep disappearing, when you're not on a mission. I know that you have a secret place that you hide at. Show it to me," she demanded, glaring at Vader with what she hoped was a commanding aura.

He stared down at her. Leia looked back up at him, suddenly self-conscious of how short and tiny she was. He could crush her under one of his boots or throw a chair at her and leave. She swallowed, feeling her legs tremble slightly as he loomed menacingly over her.

Vader turned and walked away. Leia's shoulders dropped dejectedly.

"Alright."

Leia blinked.

It was so quiet that she almost missed it. She looked up at him, wanting to hear more, but all she could see was the inky darkness of his cloak.

"Alright," he said. "But you will have to be quiet. And do not keep me waiting."

Leia nodded silently, deciding not to push her luck.

Vader immediately started walking away again. She jumped out of her chair and hurriedly ran after him, trying to keep up with his brisk pace. Once she caught up to him, she looked anxiously at him until he beckoned her wordlessly without looking at her. Confused, she came closer until Vader grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side. Together, they descended the various staircases and walked through a seemingly endless labyrinth of narrow corridors and empty hallways until they arrived at a private hangar where a small spacecraft was parked.

"Go," Vader said and Leia obeyed, scrambling into the small pod. Once she was seated in the chair, Vader helped her with the safety belt and sat down in the pilot's chair next to her.

The spacecraft took off and Leia exhaled slowly. She did not know what she was getting herself into, but her instincts had told her that despite what he let on, Vader did not hate it when she pushed him. Thus she continued to push, carefully toeing the line between boldness and impertinence that might cost her life. She hoped that she was striking the right balance...and possibly, steering him in the right direction.

Maybe I am the one controlling him, she thought to herself. Or maybe he is controlling me. I don't know.

Either way, she hoped that by mentioning Ahsoka and Ben to him again, he might remember their names and whatever fond memories they had. And maybe, potentially free them.

She has told herself that she didn't care if he was her father. She already had one, and she had given her whole heart to him. But as she found herself flying through hyperspace while stuck in a narrow ship with the monster that killed her birth mother, she began to wonder if some part of her was actually curious about getting to know him because of their shared blood.

Maybe she wasn't actually pretending to get close to him so she could learn more about his role in the Empire and undermine it, but because she really wanted to get close to him.

Leia shuddered.

She did not like thinking about that possibility.

"Here we are," Vader said, snapping her out of her thoughts. Leia peered out of the window nearest to her and immediately gasped out loud.

She had been expecting him to take her to another hot, fiery lava planet. Or perhaps a cold, ice-covered inhospitable moon that was devoid of life. Instead, she found herself gasping with surprise as the engine exited hyperspace and a beautiful terrestrial planet with turquoise blue oceans came into view. It almost reminded her of her own home planet, except it was even more ethereal and luminous. Her eyes sparkled with wonder as she gazed upon it, feeling a strange ache in her stomach.

"What...is this?" she asked, her voice filled with awe.

Vader regarded it indifferently, watching passively with no emotion in his eyes as they approached it.

"It is called Naboo."

Leia continued to stare at the planet with wide eyes, not hearing a word he said. Sighing, Vader pressed a few buttons then pushed the lever in front of him.

"Let us go down. I have something to show you."

Vader landed the ship in a wide green field surrounded by several pristine waterfalls that pooled into a set of crystalline lakes that stretched on for miles. Once they set foot on the grass, Leia immediately started to run her hand along the tall blades, picking the pinkish-purple wildflowers that sprouted every which where. As she gazed up at the calm blue sky, she felt a small wave of cool relief rush through her body.

The atmosphere was no longer hot and sulfuric, completely free from Mustafar's suffocating toxicity, and everywhere she looked plant and animal life abounded plentifully. She spun around, quietly rejoicing as she breathed in the fresh air. When she turned back around, she found herself face-to-face with Vader and immediately froze. However he did not glower or threaten her, just stared back silently. His body language seemed a lot more restricted, almost morose. Leia stopped moving and walked slowly towards him, watching his reaction.

Vader moved slowly through the field of tall grass. Leia looked up at him, staring intensely as he trudged through the clusters of beautiful flowers as if they were poisonous to him. He did not spare a glance at the clear sky or the verdant grassy fields or the glittering clear blue lake water. Everything seemed to weigh heavily on his being, an encumbrance to his very soul.

"This place is beautiful," Leia exclaimed. "Where are we?"

Vader did not respond for a few minutes. Then, begrudgingly, he answered her.

"It was your mother's favorite place."

Leia felt her heart flutter in her chest. Gazing around her, she took in her surroundings and saw everything in a new light. The open field was already beautiful, but knowing it had some special connection to her mother made her feel strange. Knowing that her mother had walked along these very same flowers, had sat where she was standing, had loved the same place that she stood upon.

Vader suddenly turned around and reached for the back of his neck. Leia watched as he unhooked something from behind his helmet. Seconds later, his long black cape fluttered to the ground. Leia stared up at him confusedly until he silently motioned at it.

Oh.

He wanted her to sit.

She made sure not to step on it and cautiously sat criss-cross on it. It felt awkward, but there were no royal protocols for this situation. She stared up at him, suddenly struck by how tall he was. Vader covered one of his arms with his gloved hand as if ashamed of his arttificial limbs. She cleared her throat and moved slightly to the side. Slowly, he lowered himself down on his prosthetic legs and sat next to her. Without the cloak, he almost looked like an ordinary man.

Now the two of them were side by side. It felt strange. Every one of her instincts was screaming and clawing at her to stand up and run away, but Leia ignored them. She stared at the purple flowers again and reached out, picking one. Absentmindedly, she started to twirl it between her fingers.

Vader looked down at her, watching as she played with it. Silently, he held out his hand. She hesitated for a moment then quietly relinquished the flower to him like a confiscated toy. Vader grasped it in his hand, almost crushing it with his strong mechanical grip. He robotically rolled it back and forth, and Leia finally realized he was trying to twirl it in the same way she had. She looked away, not wanting to make him self-conscious or provoke his anger. Vader stopped rolling it and just clenched the flower tightly, looking ahead.

The two of them sat in silence, Vader gazing at some undetermined point in the distance while Leia nervously watched him out of the corner of her eye. A cool breeze blew past them, gently ruffling their clothes, and Leia unintentionally moved closer to him out of habit. For a second, she forgot that she was with Vader and not her father on Alderaan. Vader looked down at her, pensive.

"Did my mother...come here often?" Leia asked slowly, looking at him carefully.

Vader stared back at her.

"No. After our wedding, she became quite busy with her own responsibilities. I only got to see her here a few times."

Leia nodded slowly, swallowing.

So, they were married.

She hadn't expected that. It was hard to picture someone marrying Vader willingly, much less the pretty woman from her dreams. Leia scrunched up her face, trying to remember what that woman's face looked like.

"I think...I've been here before," she said hesitatingly. "In a dream."

She could feel Vader's intense gaze on her. Flushing, she looked down at the ground and picked at the grass haphazardly.

"That would be a Force vision. The Force sometimes manifests certain places or people as dreams. However, no matter how much I try to control it, it never quite listens to me."

Leia stared at him, trying to figure out what he meant.

"So...if I saw my mother," she said slowly, "What would that mean then?"

"That is not possible."

Leia looked up, startled.

"But...you said that the Force shows us people sometimes. Can't it show me what she looked like?"

"No," Vader said coldly.

"Why not?"

"Only those who control the Force can manifest after death."

Leia frowned. That didn't sound right. She had spoken to many friends and family members who had told her about their relationships to their late loved ones. It just didn't seem right, that only a select few were capable of returning. She couldn't imagine a lifetime of not being able to see her father again. What did it mean, that only some were allowed to come back while others vanished forever?

"If she was here, I would have sensed it. I have had many dreams of her too. In them, I begged her to come back to me. Every time she evades me and disappears again and I wake up to find the same emptiness in the Force where she once was. It does not mean anything."

"But..." Leia stared up at him, locking her gaze with the expressionless eye pieces of his helmet. "That doesn't seem fair. Everyone loves someone," she argued. "Ordinary people deserve to see their loved ones too."

"That is the price of falling in love with an ordinary person. Once they have passed, you can never see them again."

Leia looked down, glumly shredding the bundle of grass that she was holding to pieces. It fell apart and drifted out of her hands as the wind blew it away from her.

She began to understand now, why Vader chose not to sleep. Why he refused to let himself dream.

"I don't believe that," she said crossly. "I don't think the Force should be segregated like that. Everyone should be allowed to access it, even the common people."

"The Force does not exist to be fair. It exists to control others or to be controlled. There is no way around it."

"Well, that's stupid," Leia grumbled. "I don't think I particularly want to control anything. I don't think anyone should be controlled."

Vader stiffened, his back ramrod straight.

"I once believed the same as you. That people should be left to determine their own fate, and control themselves. But that is not the nature of the Galaxy. It is ugly, greedy, and full of chaos...it cannot be left to its own devices. The only way to maintain peace is to control it."

Leia stared at him.

"I was not always the man that I am now. When I met your mother, she was the Queen of an entire planet. I was only a slave working at a junk shop on a deserted planet bordering the Outer Rim. After I saw her, I swore that I would see her again. After I married her, I swore that I would do anything and everything to protect and keep her. Now I have nothing left to swear by, not even myself."

Leia glared at him. "That's not true," she said, startling him. "You always have yourself. You are still the same person that you were, no matter how long ago that was. My Father says that, no matter how much change happens, you will always be the one constant in your own life. There is only one version of you, and that is the one right here."

Vader stared down at her. She stared back, challenging him.

"Your father and I would have to disagree on many things. I have never been particularly fond of politicians. I do not expect you to understand."

Leia nodded silently.

"Your mother, too, would often argue with me. I tried to get her to leave the Senate, to take on the world with me, but she always refused. Even when I was still under Obi-Wan's training she told me that she could not allow me to leave the Order for her. I thought it was because she loved the Senate more than me, but she told me that was not the case. She said it was out of a sense of duty to her family. To her home. I told her I could never understand because I have never felt a particular attachment to the planet where I was born. That is the difference between a Queen and a slave, I suppose."

The wind blew again, this time a bit colder than before. Leia shivered slightly, and Vader stared at her.

Slowly, mechanically, he reached out and picked up the corners of the cloak. She stood up, thinking he was taking it away from her, but instead he wrapped the cloak around her like a blanket.

She looked down awkwardly, feeling her face heat up again.

"I've never heard you talk about Ben before," she said. "I thought you hated him."

Vader immediately went rigid, withdrawing his hands from her shoulders. Leia's heart clenched rapidly in her chest. "I didn't always," he muttered darkly. "But now he has become the bane of my existence."

"Why?"

"He killed her," Vader spat. Leia blinked, shocked. She did not dare ask what he meant, although the answer was obvious.

"I don't think Ben is capable of killing anyone," she said.

"You would be wrong. Every time in my life where I have fallen, where I have felt loss, where I have cried and prayed and begged the gods for a merciful fate...he was there, laughing at me and manipulating me. He is the one behind all this and I will not rest until he has paid me back, eye for eye, for everything he has done to me."

"But all that happened so long ago," she said. "Why are you still angry?"

Vader paused. The wind blew harder, rustling the grass around them.

"I do not know how to feel anything else except anger."

Leia stared at him, watching as his demeanor became darker.

Yet she could also sense another emotion. Everything he did was tinged by a heavy, unrelenting sadness. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, it permeated all of his being and seeped through the expressionless mask he had placed in lieu of a face. Underneath all the madness was a man who had never properly mourned because he could not even make sense of his grief.

"Perhaps you only choose to feel anger," she said, "Because you refuse to open yourself to other emotions."

With that, she reached out and gingerly placed her smaller hand on top of his.

Vader flinched, looking down and freezing immediately. Leia inhaled, forcing herself to remain firm and kept her hand in place. Vader looked as if he wanted to withdraw his arm but also forced himself to stay still. The two of them stared at each other as the wind blew Leia's hair wildly, getting into her face and messing it up.

In the distance the sun began to set, casting a warm amber glow over everything. Neither of them moved. Finally, the slow groans of the Shaak that were now returning home to sleep roused them from their haze. Vader stood up, not letting go of Leia's hand and pulling her up with him. She grabbed the cloak around her shoulders and held onto it, trying not to let it fall onto the ground. He helped her off the ground, then slowly escorted her back to the ship.

It was time for them to return. Vader pulled her into the ship, all the while yanking on her hand to make sure she stayed close to his side. Eventually he let go of her hand to program the ship's navicomputer, setting a course for Mustafar. As the engine went into hyperdrive Leia silently watched the stars fly past them, not speaking a word. She did not attempt to locate Alderaan among them. She did not ask Vader to stop and send a message to her parents for her. Vader let her keep his cloak, which she placed on her lap as a sort of blanket to keep her legs warm.

For a moment, they were no longer an enemy commander and his opponent's daughter. Leia started to doze off and she felt a hand pulling the cloak back up to cover her shoulders. She closed her eyes and leaned back, allowing her drowsiness to claim her.

Behind her, Vader placed his hand on her back and closed his eyes. When he reached out using the Force, he could sense an energy that was familiar to him. Similar, yet not quite the same. He let go and paced around the ship, deep in his own thoughts.

It had been more than ten years since the last time he had sensed this energy. His hands trembled as he rolled the squashed purple flower between his metallic fingers, trying to take the edge off of his mind.

As he stared out into the wide expanse, something strange pooled in his stomach. He braced himself, expecting pain, but nothing came. Instead, he found himself gazing with wonderment at the Galaxy from outside of his window. It was as if he was seeing the stars for the first time again.