Chapter Text
Her white dress was a stark contrast against the gray of the cell. She was trying to appear brave and unfaltering the way she had on her ship, when Vader was forced to arrest her, but for all her effort, it was the first time something like true terror shone in his daughter’s eyes.
He hated this. Hated the fact that she was put into shackles, hated the fact that he hadn’t found a convenient excuse to not pursue her, hated how she was suddenly afraid of him again.
There were two Troopers beside him, but before they could enter the terrible cell, he motioned for them to wait. Only the despicable torture droid followed him inside and Leia’s eyes flickered over to it, once, before she sat up straighter, steeling herself.
“Leia,” he croaked, unable to say anything else, wishing his voice modulator didn't warble his voice, hoping to still convey whatever tangle of emotions sat in his forever shattered heart right now. Anger, at himself, hate for his Master, fear, unending and consuming. She wasn't supposed to be afraid of him, and yet, his fearless daughter wasn't very far from cowering.
Vader would not consider what he would have done to the traitorous Princess of Alderaan, had the Force not revealed her to him. He. Would. Not.
He deactivated the droid, surprised by his handle on the Force despite his violent emotions. It fell to the ground and only now did Leia’s shoulders relax.
They were staring at each other, without saying anything. He had known that she was going on another mission for the Rebellion from her vagueness at that last brunch with her and his niece. He hadn't expected her to get involved with this. Although, it had been him who had tipped her off regarding the Death Star. He just hadn't thought the Rebellion was quite desperate enough to risk the Princess of Alderaan over it. However, knowing his daughter, perhaps it had been her who had given no one else a choice. Remembering himself during the Clone Wars, remembering Padmé, since she had been a Queen and most likely even before that, he could imagine that Leia had thrown herself into danger, consequences be damned.
Only that had left him with even fewer choices. His Master had been…displeased with him for a while now, even going so far as to make him subject to Tarkin of all people. He hadn't been able to sabotage the Grand Moff into giving up his pursuit of Leia. The Death Star Project was personal to him and so was the reckless attack the Rebels had launched against the facility on Scarif. Vader had not had a choice but to capture her, and it had hurt.
Leia had stood her ground, of course she had. But in that moment she must have known, not even her father could get her out of this mess, despite the fact that he had vowed to protect her.
It was that desperation that made him speak again. “Leia. Leia, I`m sorry.”
And he was. For the first time in years he thought about the men he had killed, those who had been loyal to her. He was ashamed to have put her in shackles, to have put her in this small and horrible cell, but above all he was mortified at having scared her.
Leia sighed. “I…it`s…” and trailed off, not finishing her sentence.
He couldn't bear the thought of her having to crane her neck in order to look at him, so he went to his knees in front of her and took her hand. He wasn't sure if she was trembling or him, despite his prosthetics.
“It's alright,” she whispered, stroking the back of his large hand with her small thumb. As if he was the one caged at her command, not the other way around.
“It's not,” he contradicted her. Obviously it wasn`t.
She let out another deep breath, met his eyes through his mask, with nothing but a fiery determination in her eyes and said,“But it is. I knew what I was risking, going to Scarif and I don't regret it. I did everything in my power to ensure the plans will get back to Papa. My part of the mission is over.“ She swallowed once, pursing her lips, but continued. “And if I have to die for the Rebellion; So be it.”
His world tilted. No. Absolutely not. He had just found his darling daughter again. The best of him and Padmé brought together into one radiant being. He would not let her die, too. He couldn`t.
Unaware, Leia went on,”I only ask you to ensure that the Empire does not punish Aldaraan. If you can, make them think it was all me, okay? My parents…"
”No.”
His brave, stalwart Leia almost sobbed,”I know you don’t think of them fondly, but I am begging you to…”
”No, you’re not going to die.”
She blinked and raised an eyebrow, huffing,”You and I both know the severity of the situation. Not even you can stop this now.”
”I can,” He disagreed passionately. “I will. At the very least I can buy us some time, until I can come up with a way to engineer your escape. Unfortunately, I am currently beholden to Tarkin`s orders, so it might take a bit of planning around that.” Sheepishly he added, horror brewing in his stomach,”I was commanded to…interrogate you.”
Judging by the way Leia pursed her lips, not meeting his eyes and instead staring at the torture droid, she knew precisely what those `interrogations`of his usually looked like. He could not suppress a wince.
”You think you’ll be able to convince them you didn't manage to….” Leia bit her lip. “Make me confess the whereabouts of the plans?”
For the first time since he was ordered to pursue the Tantive IV he almost cracked a smile. “Anyone who has ever met you would believe me.”
That at least made her lips quirk upwards.
”Also, I'm supposed to question you about the Rebel Base. The assumption is that the plans are either headed that way or already there,” he explained.
There was a tiny glint in Leia's eye, mirth mixed with hope. “Well, they are not. And I can assure you, they are in safe hands.”
Vader could have asked what she meant. Who she meant. But truth be told, he did not care. He trusted Leia, and Leia's judgement, completely.
Despite the fact she's a Rebel? Whispered a traitorous part of his mind. The voice had a coruscanti accent and was colored in warm amusement, so different from the last time Obi-Wan had-
He made himself stop thinking about that. Instead he looked back at Leia, at the brown eyes he remembered from their Vision, now distorted through red lenses. Nevertheless he could recall them easily enough. They were burned into each warm memory of his early childhood, home and safety in a place where he was regarded as property, comfort and care when he came home crying and bruised and, lastly, love and sorrow when he had held his dying mother in his arms.
They stayed silent for a while, then. His breathing echoed through the narrow room. Leia lost in thought. His gaze wandered to their still clasped hands and, not for the first time, he wished he could comfort Leia with his real hands instead of a hard prosthetic wrapped in cold, stiff leather .
“Dad,” Leia spoke up after a while, his eyes instantly snapping back to her,”I'm still afraid.”
Anakin, I’m afraid.
Have faith, my love. Everything will soon be set right.
Lies. Lies he had believed at the time. Lies he had told Padmé.
Things will be different. I promise.
And hoping he wasn’t doing the same thing to his daughter that he had done to his wife, Vader responded, vowing to himself more than anyone else. “Things will be alright. I promise."
The first part of his plan had worked. After staying an appropriate time with Leia to pretend at interrogation, manipulating the torture droid and painfully coaching his daughter through what would be expected from one of his victims, he had left. However, no amount of pondering in his meditation pod brought any ideas for Leia’s escape to mind. The Death Star was simply too secure a facility for a single prisoner to escape all on her own, especially with him around.
And then his last hope of getting Leia out via her diplomatic immunity had been shattered too. His Master had finally dissolved the Senate. Vader had known this had been the end goal from the very beginning, but did the old bastard have to do it at the most inopportune moment?
Briefly, he considered comming the Organas, if only to tell them that Leia was alive. Force knew the panic and dread he would be feeling if he were in their position right now. However a call from him would probably increase their worry, not soothe it. The anonymous message would be little reassuring, but it was all he could get to them right now.
Tantive IV captured. Princess Leia arrested, but alive. Location: Death Star. Escape pending. Assistance?
Vader hoped he would get a response, sooner than later. Loathe as he was to admit it, he desperately needed help to protect his daughter.
He had still reported to the pretentious officers of the station, including Tarkin, bluffing his way through their stupid questions. Vader had spent barely five minutes pouring over the schematics and found the glaring flaw in the Death Star`s construction. Of course he had also received a good few disparaging comments on the efficaciousness of his torture, that had been followed by multiple ignorant comments of the Force. If he had actually gotten to crush Admiral Motti’s throat, it could have perhaps quenched the terror twisting in his stomach, but, alas, if he wanted to keep any chance of Leia’s survival alive, he would have to play by Tarkin’s rules, for now.
His stalling technique, however, meant that the Death Star construction had enough time to be completed.
Not for the first time he reported that, once again, Leia had resisted his feigned mind probe. And then Tarkin ordered the station moved into Alderaan’s orbit. Ice sluiced down his spine while it felt like his scarred flesh, though physically impossible, broke out in sweat. Next he was ordered to retrieve Leia.
In the elevator he checked his inbox again and again, but there was no response. The arrival at Leia’s cell came far too quickly and Vader, not knowing what Tarkin’s plan was, though he could guess, racked his brain for any chance of plausible deniability if he killed everyone in the hallway and helped her escape right now. He could get her to the hangar that held his TIE-Advanced effortlessly, but as soon as she left the station, she would be either drawn right back in by a tractor beam, or mercilessly shot down.
With no other options but to comply with his orders, he opened her cell door, a quizzical look on her face, when he made no move to enter. “Retrieve her Highness,” he gritted out between his teeth. The Stormtroopers accompanying him did so, shaking in fear. Incompetents.
Leia was clasped back into the abhorrent binders and led towards the elevator. Her spine was straight and she walked as if she intended to sit the throne instead of being led towards an unknown destination. Vader was immensely proud as he marched behind her.
Soon, they reach the bridge, the massive viewport and most importantly, the sneering Commander of this horrid station. “Governor Tarkin,” Leia quipped,"I should have expected you to be in charge of this abomination. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.” Vader had to keep himself from snorting.
“Charming, till the last,” Tarkin chuckled, condescendingly,”You don‘t know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life.” The filthy man put his filthy hands on Leia and angled her chin up. The anger almost distracted Vader enough from the fact that Tarkin had already scheduled Leia’s execution.
But his daughter, unbothered, (She had warned him. She had already expected this. Leia never believed he could save her.) barreled on,”I’m surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself.”
Her and Tarkin’s unfriendly rivalry and open distaste of one another was widely known. However he had never seen them interact up close and most certainly not with Leia’s life on the line.
Pride and Fear and Pain. An arena on Geonosis. Padmé hurt, but brave and fighting. Never needing his protection until she did. From him.
Leia couldn`t die. He hadn’t even told her about Geonosis yet. Leia had to live.
Tarkin didn’t take the bait. Why would he? He had the full and sole authority over the Death Star and Leia was in chains before him. His child in chains. Vader shuddered.
The Grand Moff droned on, inviting Leia to witness the destructive capability of the Death Star first hand. Putting Alderaan on the line. The planet hung just outside the viewport. Calm and peaceful. Probably lush and green with swirling white clouds. Vader couldn’t see it, but Leia could.
Where he thought her begging him to help spare her planet broke his heart before, her plea now shattered it. Just barely, he kept himself from putting his hands on her shoulders.
Tarkin, the thrice damned bastard, backed her up into his chest, trying to intimidate his already unbalanced daughter. Leia almost stumbled, but he caught her, one hand remaining on her shoulder blade, out of Tarkin’s sight. A physical reminder of his presence, even though his breathing must have been enough.
”I grow tired of asking this; So it’ll be the last time. Where is the Rebel Base?”
I am here. Vader wanted to say. You can do this, I am NOT abandoning you.
Leia looked over Tarkin’s shoulder at her home. He felt her yearning, the wish to be down there and away, away, away.
“Dantooine,” she almost whimpered, “They’re on Dantooine.” It was a lie. Vader remained silent.
Tarkin grinned at him and he was suddenly reminded of Ahsoka’s trial. How this man had simply done Palpatine’s bidding and not cared whether Ahsoka was guilty or not. ”There. You see, Lord Vader? She can be reasonable.”
Vader didn’t respond. He only put his other hand on Leia’s back to steady her.
“Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready,” Tarkin instructed one of his sniffling subordinates.
Leia’s, “What?” came at the same time as his,”Stop.”
The Grand Moff ignored Leia in favour of staring at his mask incredulously. Wishing he could take a deep breath to steady himself, Vader tried to reason,”The Rebel Base is a far higher priority than a Major Core World, Governor. The Emperor would not be pleased with such an open display of-“
Tarkin laughed. His grating, pompous laugh echoing through the space. “Quite the contrary, Lord Vader.” Tarkin smirked wolfishly, and it made a klaxon alarm shrill through his mind. “Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration. His Majesty himself has also approved my proposition of wiping out the hive of Rebels that is Alderaan. He assured me it is a top priority.”
Dread swirled in his gut. That had been pointed. His Master wanted Alderaan gone, because Vader had been getting close to Leia. This was his fault.
As a young child, he had once found a stuffed toy in one of the junk piles. It was grimy and barely being held together by the strained seams. Anakin had still taken it, had treasured it. Until Watto had found out and begun beating Mom with the hot welding irons. Because slaves were not allowed to own anything.
And Anakin never learned his lesson until someone he loved was involved.
Vader really should have understood it well enough by now.
Leia was vibrating, shivering in front of him. Feverishly, Vader tried to think of anything he could do to protect her and her home that she loved so dearly. She wasn’t a slave. She was allowed to have things and keep them.
He countered, for the first time in his life grateful for the vocoder, since it hid the tremble in his voice,“I truly believe there are more effective methods of showcasing-“
”That,” now Tarkin’s voice was ice cold,”was the order from the Emperor, himself and it stands.” Raising an eyebrow and leering at Leia, he added,”Don’t tell me you have grown…fond of such Rebel scum?”
The urge to strangle him was strong, so terribly strong. But in that moment Vader felt the ground tremble beneath him and with a dreadful clarity he knew; It was too late.
While he and Tarkin had argued, his subordinates had begun charging the giant laser. Vader had seen the plans, had checked all the engineers’ data and re-calculated them himself.
Once the order was given it took exactly 67 seconds until a shot could be fired.
It was already too late.
Not even he could have stopped the sudden green light erupting from the Death Star. There was no stopping the energy as it traveled from its emitter to the surface of Alderaan, bright and cruel and gone in an instant, the same second as the whole planet turned into debris.
Leia was screaming. Vader noticed, detached. His daughter was screaming as if someone had ripped her heart out of her chest. He held her. Protecting him? Protecting her? It all seemed so strange right now.
Then. Then he remembered that Leia had never been trained in the ways of the Force. And while he had instinctually shielded himself from all the death unleashed upon the galaxy. She had felt her people die.
“Take her back to her cell,” Tarkin told him, satisfied with himself, satisfied with himself, as Leia quieted and slumped in his arms.
Vader merely took her by her shoulder and turned her around, away from the viewport where once Alderaan had hung, back towards the elevator. There, she slumped against its wall, her eyes far, far away, as if she was not his fearsome Leia but simply a shell of who she used to be.
Then, suddenly she straightened, breathing out harshly and looked him in the eye with all the anger he had felt since perhaps his birth and the determination Padmé must have possessed longer still. It was transcending.
The elevator dinged and he led her back to her cell, still in awe, still in shock, the same as all the Troopers around him. When they entered her cell, however, she turned, her lip quivering. He could only open his arms as Leia launched herself at him and sobbed.
Leia eventually fell asleep in his arms, emotionally and physically exhausted. He hated having to lay her down on the hard slab of metal that constituted the cell’s cot, but he had no other options.
Torturously slowly he exited the cell, his heart aching, his head still ringing from the screams of a dying planet. When he checked the comm on his belt he noticed he had a new message, one he had received shortly before the Death Star fired at Alderaan.
We are coming -Bail & Breha
Vader checked. Just to be sure. Just so maybe he could lift his daughter’s spirit, in the slightest of infractions.The scans showed multiple ships that took off before Alderaan burned to nothing but dust and ashes.
None cleared the blast radius in time.