Chapter Text
“They are unsatisfactory. Weak.” Darth Vader pronounced as he surveyed the new Inquisitors Leia had been training.
Leia privately agreed, of course they were weak. The last thing they needed to add to this war were a trained corps of powerful force users. It all made sense now, why Palpatine had so rigidly controlled her training, and Jade’s, there just wasn’t room in the galaxy for more than two Sith.
She supposed that’s what she was now. Sith. Where before she had resisted, now she gave in, letting the power of the dark side carry her through long days and hard decisions.
“Compared to the Force blind and the untrained they are powerful, Father.” Leia didn’t call Vader 'master', but she thought it. She felt it.
It had not be a difficult decision to kneel in that moment when her father had taken back the darkness. It had been as natural as breathing. Now they were together, the ultimate power in the galaxy, and unlike all Sith of the past, they were bound by love instead of hate. It was a tenuous thing, the dark side did not bend to it easily, but it did bend. Love, after all, was passion and attachment, not whatever milksop rubbish the Jedi believed in. It was power.
“When will they be ready?” Vader asked of the four dark siders in the training room below them.
“Father, we could send them out now, if you wish it. Mara and I were younger when Palpatine sent us on missions.”
Vader’s anger sparked at that, “I am not him.”
“No.” Leia agreed. “He’s dead and you are the master, now.”
Vader grunted something that might have been a laugh. “They will not be able to stand against Jedi.”
“No, I don’t suppose they will.” Leia agreed easily. “But haven’t you taught me Jedi hesitate to take the kill, once they’ve disabled their opponent?” She knew that was the case, all she had to do was look at her father’s armor and life-support suit to be reminded that Jedi didn’t finish things properly.
“Oh, please.” Ahsoka Tano piped up from Leia’s other side. “I’ve killed Sith.”
Leia smiled at that, “I don’t count you as a Jedi, Ahsoka.”
Ahsoka shrugged, “Yeah, me neither. But don’t go underestimating them, Leia. We know of four, but they may have found other Force sensitives, just as you have.”
Ahsoka had been a surprise, a wonderful surprise for both of them. The Togruta had shown up at the Imperial Palace after Luke had left. She wouldn’t turn, she’d said, but she also refused to leave. Her place was with Vader now, she claimed. And so they were three.
Ahsoka was good for Vader, Leia thought. His former padawan reminded him of what he had been, and her support now gave Vader strength. He needed it. These past months had been exceptionally difficult. Leia knew that Luke’s betrayal had hurt him more deeply than words could express. But from that injury he had turned his pain into power, as only a Sith Lord could.
Leia was proud to serve and follow her father, now. This was strength. No hesitation, just action and power to change the galaxy.
Ahsoka snorted beside her, clearly picking up on Leia’s thoughts.
“Something to say?” Leia snapped.
“Nah.” The Togruta replied. “I’ve known a lot of dark-siders in my years. Barriss, Maul, Dooku… Don’t let the over-confidence blind you, Leia.”
Leia laughed, “Thank you for the advice, Master Jedi.”
“Hey now, I’m trying to help.” Ahsoka protested lightly, “You don’t need to call me names.”
Vader coughed, “I am glad you are here, Snips.”
Ahsoka grinned, revealing the sharp teeth of her species. “Someone has to try to speak sense to you two.”
Leia felt Vader’s amusement wash over them. Yes, she was grateful for Ahsoka. She almost made Luke’s loss bearable.
No. They hadn’t lost him. He’d thrown them away. Leia had known that he’d had difficulty with life on Imperial Center, but she’d never imagined he’d run away. What, really, was out there for him? Jedi platitudes?
Leia brought her attention back to the acolytes. There was a human male, a human female, a Zabrak female, and Mirialan male. They would serve the Empire in an essential role that only force users could serve - finding other Force sensitives. Not just the Jedi, but the untrained, and younglings. It was a plan for the future, for Vader’s Empire, in which the Force and Imperial power served each other.
“What could go wrong?” Ahsoka quipped.
Leia giggled, “Ahsoka Tano, the Empire’s Conscience.”
Ahsoka folded her arms, her bracelets jingling. “Do I get an office?”
“You can have mine, Snips.” Vader commented gruffly.
“What, that ball thingy?” Ahsoka giggled.
Leia laughed out loud, brining the attention of the Inquisitors up to the balcony where she observed them. Leia left her father and Ahsoka and descended into the practice hall. The Inquisitors bowed. They were around her age, but there was no question who was in charge. Leia was Vader’s apprentice, and more importantly, his daughter.
“Your combat skills are improving, but don’t seek out conflict for the sake of conflict. Your strength is in keeping to the shadows. Be invisible and do our master’s will.” Leia advised.
The Mirialan had a question. “And if we find the location of the Jedi?”
Leia wanted to laugh but kept it in, “In particular, don’t seek out conflict with the Jedi. There are four fully trained Jedi loose in the galaxy, each with more experience than all of you combined. If you encounter them, try to stay alive long enough to call in support. You are more valuable than Stormtroopers and far harder to replace. You are dismissed, go.”
The acolytes bowed to the emperor who watched from the gallery above and then to Leia. She watched them leave the chamber, wondering how long they would last.
“You never would have sent younglings out on missions, Skyguy.” Ahsoka was saying to Vader.
Vader coughed, “We were younger than they were, you were just a little girl and we managed to survive.”
“But they are young in the Force.” Ahsoka argued softly.
“Yes, they are.” Vader agreed. “Come, both of you. Court awaits.”
***
Later, as Leia relaxed in her rooms, her thoughts drifted back to her brother. Had she failed him? She’d never pressured him to accept the darkness, she herself had fought it every step of the way. But at some point Luke had decided that she was irredeemable. Or perhaps Kenobi had lured him away… No, she was done thinking up excuses for her brother’s betrayal. They’d given him everything and he’d still run away.
And if the Inquisitors killed him, what then? Asked a voice in her head which sounded a great deal like Ahsoka. Surely, Luke would kill them first. Or maybe he would just leave them dismembered and on fire as was the Jedi way.