For the next few days, Leia and Vader did not speak. Although Leia still came and followed him whenever he requested her, she no longer spoke to him or asked any questions of her own volition. The only times where she spoke aloud were during their reading sessions, which quickly became incredibly tense and uncomfortable. Now, Leia would only read to him if she was sitting across from him at the table. During their shared meals, Vader would carefully watch her to see if at any point her talkativeness had returned. But she never quite opened up the way he was wanted her to.

Over the course of a week several new books appeared randomly in Leia's room. She looked upon each and every one of them with a hint of wariness, silently counting down the number of pages. It took her roughly five to ten days to finish a volume of average length. The thicker the book, the more time it would take her to read them for Vader. As Vader observed her reactions, he found with some disappointment that she did not express any of the joy or curiosity that he had expected. If anything her facial expressions seemed to betray a heavy air of dread that was extremely unfitting of a child her age. This very dread both angered and wounded him as he had hoped to see her warm up to him. Nonetheless, he told himself to remain patient.

He had not yet given her the gift that he had started working on since the anniversary of Padme's death.

At the moment, he had mostly finished assembling all of the metallic components from a combination of Haysian smelt and orichalc. It was not much different from working with droid parts. Fundamentally, the concepts were the same; it required a protective metal casing, a fuel cell, a deactivator, and modulation circuits for the power grid. He had obtained the plasma from Naboo, the only planet whose quality he could truly trust. He had also finished working on the emitter shroud and emitter matrix just a few days ago and now all he needed to complete it was a crystal.

But where to find one?

The only kyber that he was able to obtain before the colonization of Ilum was from Ahsoka's discarded lightsaber. But he no longer had access to that.

After returning from the site of her supposed death, he had removed the crystals from her hilt, intending to either destroy or bury them. However, he could never find the time or fully bring himself to get rid of them. In a twisted sort of way he still felt attached to them. It was only when the Sixth Brother completed his training and came to him demanding a proper weapon that Vader finally agreed to part with the crystals.

"You took my right leg from me," the Inquisitor had sneered. "It's only fair that you give me something in return."

Normally, he would not entertain such impudence. However, he had been meaning to eliminate the crystals either way. This would be the perfect excuse to do so.

Perhaps the Brother thought that he would give him the crystals out of guilt for having severed one of his limbs. In truth, he did not recall this information. Since discovering the Inquisitorius Program, he had been ordered by the Emperor to evaluate the candidates, all of whom sustained injuries from Vader's training sessions (either losing their limbs, their eyes or their lives). Vader did not particularly appreciate being assigned more responsibilities and especially opposed the notion that he was to become some sort of teaching figure. In a way, he wondered if the Emperor had assigned him this task as a way of mocking him and his past. He considered it both a burden and a humiliation, and thus did not care to remember everything about each of his pupils. He merely treated and trained them all the same.

"Fine," he ended up replying to the Sixth Brother's request. "A weapon you will receive for your troubles."

"Thank you, my Lord," the Sixth Brother smirked and bowed.

Thus, Vader gave him the two crystals that formerly belonged to the Jedi Ahsoka Tano's lightsaber. Out of curiosity, before the Sixth Brother left to bleed the crystals and place them in his double-sided saber, he reached out and employed a subtler form of Second Sight on him. Using the Force, he searched the Inquisitor's memories and was able to parse out the specific incident that he had mentioned.

Ah, so he is the one who asked me about my training methods, Vader had thought to himself. How bold.

After all, few dared to question him once he started cutting off limbs. Most were too terrified to continue, and would pay the price with their life. Others, such as the Third Sister, simply refused to make any displays of pain. He had not recalled much about her as she never said anything about herself. The only observations that he remembered from their brief training session before she was promoted in order to replace the absence of the Second Sister was how she had narrowed her eyes and glowered at him as if she wanted to rip him in half. He had made a mental note to also search her memories and discover the reasons behind this brief moment of open hatred, but had never gotten around to actually doing it. Just like how he had always intended to destroy Ahsoka's now-empty lightsaber hilt, but never truly got around to it.

Perhaps it was out of weakness. Perhaps it was because looking at it provoked too many emotions. Perhaps it was because, deep down, he was still felt an attachment towards his old Padawan and did not like the thought of anyone else touching the gift that he had specially made for her.

"Thank you for your generous gift, my Lord," the Sixth Brother turned and called out once more. "I am most pleased with my new weapon. I swear that I will not let you down."

Vader wanted to snarl at him and cut off his other leg. But instead, he held back and reminded himself that this was a blessing in disguise. He had been wanting to get rid of the memory of Ahsoka Tano, to fully remove the parts of her memory that were still connected to his soul. This was the best way to do it.

Now, he wished that he had kept those crystals.

Ilum was not an option, as the Emperor had expressly forbidden all entry there. The kyber mines were all directed towards the manufacture of some mysterious creation which was guarded with utmost secrecy. To land there and steal from them would be an act of treason. Of course, kyber crystals were not the only option for a fuel source. Perhaps he could replace them with some crystals from the Adegan system. However, journeying there would likely make the Emperor suspicious and question his motives. At the moment, his best option was to use some synth-crystal, but he did not wish to give his child an unstable weapon that could endanger her wellbeing.

For these reasons, the project currently remained incomplete. However, the crystal dilemma continued to plague his thoughts for several days on end. He continued to ponder it obsessively, only truly realizing how deeply involved he was when Lord Sidious snapped at him in the middle of their call.

"Lord Vader," Sidious frowned displeasedly. "Are my words not making themselves clear enough for you?"

"My apologies, Master. I was distracted."

"Well, then. I shall repeat myself," Sidious' lip curled with annoyance. "I am concerned about the growing insurgency on Lothal. We have reason to believe that the Rebels are attempting to establish a base there. I will be sending you there with the Grand Admiral to investigate their activities."

The holoprojection flickered and Vader could now see Thrawn standing beside the Emperor. Vader narrowed his eyes.

"Greetings, Lord Vader," the Chiss said in a distant, polite tone.

Vader did not respond.

"Your Highness, with all due respect...I am not sure if I can afford to go on an extended mission at the moment. Kenobi is-"

"Enough about Kenobi!" Lord Sidious growled, surprising him. "You will cease this unending obsession with him, right now," he sneered. "I have tolerated it until now, but my patience is wearing thin. If you will not kill him, then I do not wish to hear about him. Consider this my final warning."

Vader immediately bowed. "Of course, Master."

"Good," Palpatine drawled. "The investigation will begin within twenty-four hours. The Grand Admiral has kindly agreed to visit so that he may escort you to the site of interest. Lord Vader, I expect you to be there on time."

The holoprojection finally ended, completing the transmission. Vader shut off his comlink and began to pace around trying to process what had just happened.

A mission on the Lothal System. A call to finally leave Kenobi behind.

You will cease this unending obsession with him, right now.

He lost control of himself for a moment and something behind him shattered. Vader ignored it, apathetically kicking away the shards of glass and grounding the smallest pieces to dust under his boot.

I have tolerated it until now, but my patience is wearing thin...Consider this my final warning.

Vader sneered irritably.

Part of him wanted to bark back at the order like a feral dog. He could feel the familiar flames of rage burning from within him, threatening to consume his core. But although Lord Sidious' words had stung, he found that he was not as angered by the thought of being forced to let go of Kenobi as he thought he would be. Instead, his thoughts turned elsewhere.

Leia.

There was still one more thing he wanted to say to her.

Upon hearing a knocking sound coming from her door, Leia immediately stood up and hid LOLA under her bed. At the point, she had no idea who the mysterious visitor could be. It could be a Purge Trooper, an Inquisitor, or even the Emperor for all she knew. She had just finished her meal with Vader and was not expecting him for a while. Reva had also left earlier, declaring that she had something important to do and wouldn't be back for a while. Knowing this, she wanted to ignore the sound and pretend she had heard nothing. However her mysterious visitor continued to knock insistently, clearly impatient.

Standing up, she walked over to the door and opened it hesitantly. As soon as she did, the tall silhouette of Vader filled the entire doorway and towered menacingly above her.

Leia looked up at him, her eyes widening with surprise. Vader practically loomed over her, casting his shadow everywhere around him. "Why...are you here?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Was it because she messed up too many words during her reading practice? Did she say something to provoke his fury?

She had been keeping as quiet as possible whenever she was not required to read, out of fear of angering him again. But perhaps she had not been careful enough. Leia's bottom lip quivered, and her legs began to tremble as she stared into the black sockets of his helmet.

"I am leaving on a new mission. I will not be back for a long time."

Leia blinked.

The two of them stared at each other, making direct eye contact for the first time in days. Leia swallowed and clenched her hand, wishing LOLA was there so she could hold onto her for strength.

"Good for you," she said, the words coming out more distant than she intended. She could not find it in herself to feign warmth towards the man who made her cry and fear for her life.

Vader stared at her as if he was not satisfied with her response.

"Is that all?" he asked coldly.

"What else do you want me to say?" she retorted, finally finding the boldness to talk back to him.

She sensed a thread of impatience unfurl. If she could see under the helmet, she imagined Vader would be furrowing his brow at her.

"I have just told you that I will be gone. Does this not concern you?"

No, she wanted to say. I want you gone. I hope you die. And never come back.

But she could not get the words to leave her mouth. Not while Ben was stuck in a cell by himself. Not while Ahsoka had to limp and crawl on the ground because her ankles could not support her.

"Fine," she forced herself to say. "Goodbye, then."

Vader stared at her silently, waiting for her to finish her response. Unable to think of anything else to say, Leia glared at him.

"What?" she snapped.

Vader took a step towards her and she froze. Sensing her fear, he slowly lowered himself down onto one knee. Now that they were eye-to-eye, both of them looked at each other and Leia swallowed.

Vader held out his arms silently. Finally understanding, Leia walked forward and mechanically hugged him around his neck. She tried to avoid touching the cold metal of his helmet as much as possible. Seconds later, she felt the cold grip of his gloved hands wrapping around her.

The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes. Leia counted down each second, her heart thrumming wildly. Finally, Vader let go of her and stood back up.

"Goodbye."

With that, he turned around and left.

Leia immediately closed the door and ran to her bed, covering her face with the blankets. LOLA reactivated and buzzed loudly next to her, trying to get her attention. Leia kept her face buried in her blankets, refusing to look up. After a while, she successfully calmed herself down enough to drop the blankets and walk around. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that this could be a good thing.

No more Vader.

This meant she could finally try and sneak out to find Ben again.

Her heartbeat began to increase. Quickly, she grabbed LOLA, shushing her and instructing her to decrease her volume. She took a deep breath, looking around to see if there were any Purge Troopers on duty. There were currently none in sight.

Leia tiptoed around cautiously, looking both ways whenever she turned a corner.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Leia whirled around, alarmed. Behind her loomed a tall Dathomirian Zabrak with red and black skin, his smile dark and menacing.

"Don't be afraid," he grinned, his face lit by the red glow of a double-sided saber staff. "Come closer."

Leia screamed and turned to run.

Maul growled, and she could hear the sound of his saber deactivating as he also sprinted after her. All pretenses of visiting Ben vanished completely from her mind. Now, all she could do was rely on her knowledge of the layout of Fortress Vader to escape.

"Ben!" she screamed loudly, against her own reason. "Ben! Ben!" she called out again. No response. She paused, looking around to see if Maul had caught up with her.

"So this is where you were hiding," a voice drawled. Leia screamed and splayed her hands out in front of her, creating a shield that pushed him back. Maul growled and she made another run for it.

"Ahsoka!" she yelled. "Ahsoka!"

"What is your connection to Lady Tano?"

Leia almost froze as she realized her mistake. She closed her mouth and ignored the Zabrak, continuing to sprint even as her legs cried out from exhaustion.

"How do you know her?" Maul growled loudly as he continued to chase her. "Come back here and answer me!"

Just keep running, she told herself. Keep running and don't stop.

She had already made that mistake on Alderaan when she failed to escape her kidnappers. She would not let herself get taken again.

"Reva?" Leia called out, desperate enough to ask for help from her old tormentor. "Reva, Reva!" she yelled louder.

It's no use. It's no use.

She only had one last resort to call on.

Where is Vader? She panted as she sprinted down a hallway, trying desperately to outrun him. Calling out to him certainly carried a risk with it. But it might be better than whatever was waiting for her back there. She immediately turned and ran down a flight of stairs, the ones that she knew would lead to Vader's meditation chamber where she accidentally walked in on him without a helmet.

If I surprise him again, Vader might kill me. But if I stop running, then that tattooed man will also kill me, Leia reasoned with herself.

Recognizing the door, she finally shoved it open and ran inside.

"Who dares enter?" Vader's voice thundered as he turned around. It seemed as if he was in the middle of preparing for battle.

Leia squeezed her eyes shut and ran to him, throwing her arms around his legs.

Shocked, Vader froze and looked down at her. She looked up at him with fearful eyes.

"Please," she begged.

Vader stared at her, alarmed. He then heard the sound of footsteps and looked up. Across from him, the Dathomirian sneered and re-ignited his saber.

"Vader," Maul drawled, circling around him without stepping closer. "We meet again."

Vader sneered. "How dare you disturb me within my own home."

"I'm here on the Emperor's orders," Maul replied. "Think of this as more of a...surprise visit."

"You are not welcome here. Leave, or I will kill you."

"I came here for Kenobi, but it looks like I found something far, far more interesting," Maul grinned. "Hiding not just Kenobi, but a child...I see why you've been so distant lately, Vader. You're just full of secrets, aren't you? Is Lady Tano in on this too?"

"You will not lay a hand on her," Vader growled furiously. Leia trembled and clung tighter onto him as she heard the violet thrumming of his lightsaber being activated. She felt a hand grip her shoulder and squeeze hard. She closed her eyes, leaning into him.

"I never fancied you as the fatherly type," Maul chuckled. "What has gotten into you, Vader? Are you feeling guilty about the Younglings that you slaughtered at the old Temple? This one looks young enough to have been one herself," he smirked.

Vader's body trembled, and Leia realized he was shaking with anger. She let go and pulled back, looking up at him. His expression was unreadable from beneath the helmet, but she knew instinctively that his face was contorting with anger.

Maul, on the other hand, looked as if he had never been more excited to start a fight in his whole life. His expression betrayed his eagerness and conviction that he was just about to sink his claws into something particularly amusing.

"Have you checked her Midichlorian count, Vader? I wonder if the Emperor would be interested to know that she is a Force-Sensitive herself..."

"You will not speak of this to the Emperor," Vader snarled and swung his lightsaber at him.

"I was worried you had gone soft," Maul raised his staff with both hands to counter the blow, then aimed his own thrust at Vader himself. "It has been too long since I have had a proper fight. I hope you have not forgotten what it means to be a true Master of the Dark Side," he smirked.

Vader slashed at him, letting go of Leia to grip his lightsaber with both hands. Leia moved back and watched as he stepped forward, entering Maul's dueling range. The two of them began to trade blows in earnest, hand against hand. Each cyborg let out a cry as flesh hands and metal legs fought back against metal hangs and legs. Red light flashed brightly as their sabers made contact, creating a loud oscillating sound. Soon, the movements of their blades merged into a violent blur that was indistinguishable to anyone except themselves.

As they fought, Leia ducked down and ran out of the room, taking advantage of Maul's distracted state to escape. She sprinted through a hallway and down a staircase that she hoped might take her to Ben, Ahsoka, or the exit.

Please, please, please, she prayed, let me make it out of here without anyone else finding me.

Her heart was about to beat out of her chest from how fast it was vibrating. Leia continued to trudge on, panting to fill her lungs with air as her entire body hummed with adrenaline. She tried to urge herself to not think about what had just happened, but her mind could not help running over the experience and asking a million questions.

Who was that man? she thought to herself wildly. Why did Vader know his name? And why did he say he was looking for Ben?

She suddenly stopped, realizing something that made a chill run down her spine.

How did he know Ahsoka's name?

Just then, she felt something grab her by the arm. Leia growled and turned around, ready to fight.

"Let go of me!" Leia hollered, using all of her force to smack the pursuer, but they did not let go of her wrist. She turned around to hit them again, finding herself face-to-face with none other than Reva. "You-!" She gasped, accidentally smacking her again.

"Ow!" Reva yelled. "What are you doing?" she demanded angrily.

The small girl and the Inquisitor glared at each other, both unable to leave and unable to stay in place. Leia, for one, was stuck. She had just barely escaped the tattooed man by enlisting Vader's help. Reva was another problem. There was no way of fooling her or trying to distract her. Force Tricks also wouldn't work on her. Leia's stomach slowly plummeted as she became uncomfortable aware of the direness of her situation.

I might never get to escape after all.

"Let go!" Leia shouted again, desperately trying to shake her off. "Why are you still holding to me?"

"What don't you understand, you stupid dolt? I'm on your side!"

"No!" Leia screamed. "You're lying! Why would I ever come with you?"

"Because I told Tano that I would bring you to her!" Reva shouted.

Leia stopped moving and Reva exhaled, wiping her brow. She let go of her arm and Leia immediately step back. Reva bent over and panted, catching her breath.

Who would've thought an eleven-year-old could run so fast, she thought crossly while looking over at Leia.

"Ahsoka sent you?" Leia asked suspiciously. "I thought she didn't like you."

"Yeah, well," Reva rolled her eyes, "Nobody really seems to these days."

Leia crossed her arms and frowned. "What proof do you have that I can trust you?" she demanded.

Reva groaned. "Look, we don't have much time, so you're just going to have to... Just trust me on this, okay?" she snapped.

Leia stared at her, trying to detect any lies or deception in her tone. She did not seem to be making it up. Hesitantly, she moved closer and took Reva's hand. Reva blinked, looking down at her with a surprised expression on her face.

"Okay," she said quietly. "Take me to her."