Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Death Star glowed like a moon in the sky. Leia stared up at it from the window of the Ewok treehouse. It might have looked full, if it was completed, but the large gap within the unfinished abomination made it a crescent shape. How strange that something so incredibly destructive could look almost peaceful from this distance.

For one incredible moment, Leia flashed back to Alderaan—she was just a little girl, in her room in the palace of the city of Aldera. The large windows gave her a fantastical view of the gently glowing city, all the way to the Appenza Peak in the distance. The mountain’s pillared shape was dark against the orange sunset sky. The stars were coming out with the approaching night…but no moon. There was no moon on Alderaan. What had it been like for her people to look up and see the moonlike Death Star? Before they had been wiped out.

With a few blinks, she returned to the here and now. She lifted a hand to the corner of one eye and brushed the beginnings of a tear away. She shouldn’t be thinking about that now. The plan was to attack the Empire’s shielding base early tomorrow; they would set out at first light. She needed to focus. She and Han were the leaders.

Something poked at her senses—instinct. Leia had always trusted her instincts, and now they were like whispers in her ear. She turned her head side to side—the treehouse was crowded with Ewoks, Han was speaking to C-3PO, and Chewie was gently trying to stop the younger Ewoks from climbing him. But even in the dim light of the fire, she saw a shadow move as Luke slipped out.

Something was wrong with him. Something had been wrong with him since he’d confronted Vader on Bespin, but he was getting even more quiet on this particular mission—if also staying closer to her than usual. She knew he had been watching her when he thought she wasn’t paying attention and had stayed within her reach the whole time they’d been trudging through these woods. She hoped it wasn’t because he still harbored feelings for her. Leia loved Luke like family, but after everything she and Han had gone through, she couldn’t see herself with anyone else but him.

Still, Luke was her friend. Something was up with him, and she needed to find out what. Not only because she couldn’t let him go into battle distracted, but because she cared about him, too.

She walked out into the darkness after him, onto the wooden bridges that linked the Ewok village treehouses together. They were very high up, but Leia had never been afraid of heights. She saw Luke immediately, his back to her across the bridge. His dark clothing blended him in with the shadows, but silver Death Star moonlight shined upon him. Though she couldn’t see his face, she had a feeling he was staring off at space, contemplating something.

She approached him. “Luke, what’s wrong?”

He didn’t jump, so he hadn’t been entirely distracted. “Leia.” He turned around to face her and then sat back on to one of the rails, so he could be more eye level with her. He folded his hands before him. “Do you remember your mother? Your real mother?”

Leia felt her eyebrows crease at the strange question. Her parents, Bail and Breha Organa, she had loved more than anything. She had never desired anything more than them. There were so few moments in her life when she even wondered about her biological mother and father. Especially the last few years, spent mourning her beloved adopted ones.

But if this was what Luke needed to open up to her, she’d give it to him. She knew his father was the Jedi legend, Anakin Skywalker. Perhaps his distance had something to do with that?

Leia shrugged and sat beside him. “Just a little bit. She died when I was very young.”

“What do you remember?” Luke insisted earnestly.

She didn’t have much to give him. In fact, she really shouldn’t—her mother had died in childbirth, and her adoption into the Royal House of Organa had been mere days after that. “Just images, really. Feelings.”

“Tell me,” Luke pressed. His focus was pinned on her—she didn’t know why this was important to him or what it was about, but she trusted him.

Leia sighed and looked down, always feeling ridiculous whenever she tried to tell anyone this. There was no possible way she could remember her mother, she had been far too young, and anyone she tried to tell always looked at her strangely. But she did remember, and she knew. “She was very beautiful. Kind…but sad.” She looked up to Luke, unable to offer him any more. His eyes had lowered, becoming distant. “Why are you asking me this?”

He shook his head. “I have no memory of my mother. I never knew her.”

A sudden yearning for his long-dead mother couldn’t be the issue here, even if it did sadden him. There was something else. Luke was beating around the bush, not coming out and telling her what was wrong. Leia decided to give him a push. “Luke, tell me. What’s troubling you?”

He met her eyes. “Vader is here; now, on this moon.”

Leia withheld her fear before it could overtake her, though the hollowed breathing echoed in her ears, easily drowning out the sounds of the insects of the night around them as if the mere name could summon the monster. “How do you know?” She felt cold just thinking about him.

“I felt his presence,” Luke whispered. “He’s come for me. He can feel when I’m near. That’s why I have to go. As long as I stay, I’m endangering the group and our mission here.” Luke hesitated, then said, “I have to face him.”

Leia’s mind had already been trying to come up with ways to hide Luke, but her brain screeched to a halt at that last statement. “Why?”

Luke was silent for a long moment, before he finally came out with it. “He’s my father.”

That gave Leia a pause. Luke looked up at her, ducking his head a little.

Her thoughts were both nonexistent and everywhere. “Your father?” she repeated in disbelief. Years of training in politics kept her from blurting out ‘what woman in her right mind slept with him?!’

“There’s more,” Luke pressed urgently, before Leia could scream. How could the creature that was the Empire’s enforcer, the man who had tortured her and Han and hunted them throughout the galaxy, who had murdered countless beings, possibly be related to Luke? “It won’t be easy for you to hear it, but you must. I need your help.”

“How can I help?” Leia managed to say in disbelief. “Every time the Alliance has faced Vader…” that blood-red lightsaber flashed before her eyes, vaporizing the lives before it. She shook her head. “Luke, you have a power I don’t understand and could never have.”

In moments of desperation, pursued by Vader, Leia had felt bitter envy of Luke’s skill with the Force. Vader had had her at his mercy too many times to count; the Sith Lord was an enemy she didn’t stand a chance against face-to-face. But she wished she could make him pay for all of his crimes against her, her people, her family, and the galaxy.

“You’re wrong,” Luke said, causing Leia’s heart to freeze in surprise. “You have that power too. In time, you’ll learn to use it as I have.”

Leia gaped. She had the Force? All this time? She would have learned to use it ages ago.

Luke drew her from her shock as he reached for her hand and spoke softly. She was too stunned to even wonder if this had romantic implications. “The Force is strong in my family…” Luke said. “My father has it…I have it…and…” he looked up at her “…my sister has it.”

Those instincts Leia had always trusted suddenly lit up all across her body. She took a silent, deep breath, suddenly consumed with an impossible idea—

“Yes,” Luke confirmed. “It’s you, Leia.”

“I know,” the words slipped from her mouth. “Somehow…I’ve always known.” Well that just made their kiss on Hoth a lot more awkward. But she couldn’t deny the instant connection she had immediately felt from the first moment she had seen Luke. It had been like finding her other half. She had mistaken it for romantic love, but when she had tried to express the feelings in that way, it had never felt…right. Now it all made sense.

Holy kriff, Leia’s mind suddenly went numb with realization. Darth Vader is my father!

No! Another part of her mind growled, Bail and Breha are my parents! They were always there for me, they raised me, they cared for me! They were more loving to me than Vader ever could have been or could be.

But those oh-so-insistent instincts wouldn’t let her deny the biological factor. That woman that had haunted Leia’s dreams for as long as she could remember had married—if that—Darth Vader. What an extreme error in judgement.

Luke tightened his hands on hers. “Then you know why we have to face him.”

Leia’s mind snapped back to the present. “No!” she shouted, letting go of his hands and standing up at once. But then she caught something. “We?!”

“Yes, we. You and I, we go to him together.”

Leia was flabbergasted, no other word for it. “Why? Why in the galaxy would we do that?” Leia had faced a lot of crazy things in her life—being rescued from the Death Star by two bumbling moon-jockeys (and Chewie), being eaten by a space-monster, hiding from Imperials on the very back of a Star Destroyer, and single-handedly killing Jabba the Hutt. Darth Vader being her biological father definitely topped the list, but confronting him?

“Because there is good in him!” Luke stood with her and grabbed her hands between his again. “I’ve felt it. He won’t turn us over to the Emperor, we can save him, we can turn him back to the good side. He struggled to fight me, with you there he’s certain to come to his senses.” He must have seen the denial in Leia’s face because he pursed his lips and said, “We have to try.”

“Again with the ‘we,’” Leia murmured, eyes narrowing skeptically.

Luke nodded. “I sensed the conflict in him when we fought before…he doesn’t want to fight me or hurt me. When he knows about you…”

“Luke. He cut off your hand.”

“That was an accident!” Luke cried, pulling his mechanical hand out of hers and tightening it into a fist. Leia gripped his real one, refusing to let it go even as he tugged it away. Luke took a deep breath, turning away from her. “He didn’t mean it.”

“He still did it,” Leia pointed out dryly. “Luke, he’s killed hundreds of people. He’s helped the Empire, oppressing the galaxy for over two decades. He’s enslaved planets. What about Chewie and Wookies? Ask Chewie what Darth Vader has done to his people. Or better yet—” Leia let go of Luke’s hand and pointed right up at the sky. “—look up there. Look, Luke. It’s a Death Star. It’s not even the first one the Empire has built. Do you remember what they’re built for?” She lowered her hand to clench it to a fist at her side. Her voice turned dark. “Because I do.”

Luke stared at her, sadness and pity in his eyes. “I know, Leia. I know how consumed he is by the power of the Dark Side… But I have to try,” he repeated.

“It’s impossible,” Leia spat.

“I saw your message to Ben,” Luke said suddenly. “You said he was your ‘only hope,’ but that didn’t stop you from fighting, from escaping. I faced a one-in-a-million shot on the Death Star, it was impossible, but I did it. You took out the Hutt Crime Empire. We face impossible odds against the Empire every day, but you and I both know we can win this.”

Leia put her hands on her hips. “There’s a fine line between bravery and—well—craziness.”

“We crossed that line long ago,” Luke said. He then cocked a grin. “Let’s face it, Leia; we’re insane.”

Leia’s breath caught at seeing him smile and joke with her—it felt like it had been forever. He had smiled at her when he came back from Dagoba, but what other times since Bespin? It was his hope that gave him this joy. Leia couldn’t bring herself to take it away.

But at the same time, how could she let him do this? If he went and faced Vader and the Emperor, he would die. But then she saw the glint of determination in his eye through the smile, and she deflated.

“You’re going no matter what, aren’t you?” she asked, slumping.

He had the audacity to look bashful. “I learned to be stubborn from you, Leia.”

She snorted. “I’m too good a teacher, then.” But then she sobered. She looked at Luke—her brother—and she knew she could never let him go alone. She would sooner lose a limb. She had already lost too much—her parents, her planet, her people…she couldn’t lose him.

She gave one last long-suffering sigh, drawing out her moments of non-doom. “Oh, alright, fine.”

Luke’s smile beamed brighter than Tatooine’s suns. He grabbed her in a tight embrace, and for a moment, Leia felt like everything was alright. She hugged him back just as tightly. “I knew you’d come around.”

“I think we’re both going to die,” Leia said into his shoulder, her voice muffled. “But I think that a lot, so who knows.” She lifted her head, so her chin rested on shoulder and she could speak properly. The glow of the Death Star poured down on them from above. “I don’t think Vader will ever turn,” she said softly.

Luke didn’t let her go but was quiet. She couldn’t see his face. “I know he will,” he said finally. She gave a heavy sigh. She supposed that since she and Luke were twins, she was the bad one. But she’d rather die with him than away from him.

A sudden idea occurred to her. “What do we do about Han?”

Luke finally pulled away from her and met her eyes. They were full of conflict. “He’ll try to come with us. We just…we have to go.”

Leia shook her head at once. “No, Luke,” she said firmly. “Han loves us both; we can’t do that to him.” She hesitated, biting her lip before saying, “I have to say goodbye to him.”

Luke looked down for a moment, before he finally nodded in agreement. Han had been dragged into this. He fought in the Alliance for them, and he deserved better than them leaving him in the final battle…at least not without a goodbye.

Keeping hold of Luke’s hand, she led him back to the treehouse. But she froze when she saw Han leaning against the door jamb with his arms crossed, waiting for them, watching them. The firelight behind him and shadows of the night hid his face from her. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Leia took a deep breath. “We’re leaving, Han.”

The shadow of Han’s head tilted. “If I know you, Your Worship, you never run away from a fight. You see the mission through. Why are you leaving now?”

Leia stared at him, and then her eyes began to tear up. Han’s words tore her right to her core. The Rebels needed her to lead them, how could she leave all these people? How could she leave Han? She loved him. And right now, she was about to willingly walk to her death and leave him, and any kind of life they might have made, behind. Leia almost never dreamed about life after the Empire was destroyed, she was too focused on fighting it, but when she did, she imagined a life with Han. She was giving that up, and taking it from him, when they were closer to it than they had ever been before.

But Luke needed her more right now. If Han needed her, she would be there for him too. But right now, she had to choose between them and Luke was the one who needed her most.

“Hey,” Han’s voice softened and he came to her, wrapping her in his arms. Oh, this hug felt just as good as Luke’s but in an entirely different way. With Han, Leia finally felt as if she could rest. All through her life, as Princess, as ambassador, as Rebel, she pushed herself relentlessly. But with Han’s strong arms, his scruffy body like a blanket that warmed her to her core, his smell of oil grease…she felt safe. She hugged him back, taking as much strength as she could from him. The tears came and Leia pressed her face into Han’s chest. Was she really about to give him up?

“Leia, Leia,” Han whispered in her ear. “It’s okay…” He began to run a hand through her hair. “What can I do?”

“Just hold me a little longer,” Leia whispered. Forever, she wanted to ask.

She wasn’t sure how long it was, but it wasn’t forever, and it wasn’t enough. But she drew away, her heart crying out for him as she did. She took a deep breath and wiped the tears away.

“Luke and I are leaving,” she said to Han. “We have…something to do. We need you to stay behind here and finish the mission.” She straightened herself up.

Han looked at her, and then flicked his gaze to Luke. “Where are you going?”

Leia swallowed through her dry throat. “We can’t tell you.”

Han looked angry. “But you can tell Luke?” he demanded.

Leia muffled her whimper, but Han still heard it. He flinched in guilt. A moment of silence passed between the three of them before Han broke it. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” said Leia immediately. “I am.” She couldn’t face him anymore. She began to turn away. “Goodbye, Han.”

Luke took her hand and the two of them began to back away. “You’re my best friend, Han,” Luke said softly. “Thank you. Goodbye.”

Leia turned around and headed down the bridge. She felt Han’s eyes on her back. She was at the end of it when Han called out, and at once she stopped.

“Leia!” he called. She froze but didn’t turn. “…I love you.”

Leia’s heart broke within her. She turned around and saw Han looking uncomfortable. But she met his eyes. “I know.”

And then she turned away, knowing she probably would never see him again.

OOO

Leia followed Luke through the forests of Endor. She stumbled in the darkness, but Luke was there to catch her when she fell. He didn’t seem to have a problem knowing where all the roots stuck out. If only the Death Star could be actually useful for once and reflect enough light that she could see where she was going.

They traveled in silence for some time before Leia spoke up. “What if Vader attacks my mind?”

Luke glanced back at her. “You’re a Force-sensitive, Leia; you have natural shields in your mind. It will be difficult for him to get through.”

She blinked. “But Vader tried to get in my head on the Death Star?”

Luke flinched minutely, remembering another one of Vader’s horrible sins. If he wanted a list, Leia could certainly give him one. “Tried to get in your mind,” Luke said. “He didn’t get what he was looking for, did he?”

“No,” Leia admitted. But the Sith Lord had certainly caused a lot of pain while looking through her head for the Rebel Base. Strange, though, how Vader must have known at least since then that she was Force-sensitive.

“The Force has always been with you, Leia,” Luke said to her. “Trust your instincts. Let it guide you.”

Leia gave a skeptical look to Luke’s back. “Yeah…” she said doubtfully.

Luke flashed her a grin over his shoulder. “You sound like Han.”

Leia ignored the way her heart panged at the mere sound of his name. The idea of a mystical energy bossing her around did not appeal to her. She wasn’t as bad a cynic of the Force as Han was, but still…

She decided to change the subject. “I’m guessing you found out about Vader on Bespin?” That was when his whole demeaner had changed. Though to be fair, there were quite a few Rebels who had merely glimpsed Vader and had never been the same.

Luke paused. “Yes,” he said softly. “He told me then.”

Leia refrained from mentioning again how Vader had cut off Luke’s hand. “Did he tell you about me as well?”

“No, actually,” Luke said. “He doesn’t know about you. Yoda, the Jedi Master who’s been teaching me, told me about you when I visited him after Jabba’s palace.”

“And this Jedi Master can’t come out and help us?” Leia muttered.

“He’s dead now.” Luke’s voice was cold.

Leia paused, peering at her brother through the darkness. “I’m sorry, Luke.”

He let out a chilling breath. “Thank you, Leia.”

Silence dropped over them for quite some time after that.

She saw the lightsaber on Luke’s belt catch a bit of moonlight that had snuck through the forest’s canopy. “Don’t have a spare one of those, do you?” she gestured to it. She knew Luke had lost his father’s lightsaber—that now had an entirely different meaning—during his duel with Vader on Bespin. When he had come to Jabba’s palace to rescue them, however, he’d just shown up with this new one. Leia had been told that the weapons of the Jedi and Sith were rare—where had Luke gotten it?

Luke glanced down at the saber on his belt. “No, afraid not.” He pushed a fern out of his way and held it up for Leia as she came up behind him. “Even if I did, they’d certainly take it from you when we turned ourselves in.”

Leia grumbled; she’d still like to have one. Even if she preferred a blaster and had no experience with swordplay, a lightsaber was the one weapon that stood a chance against Vader. Any projectile Vader could stop with the Force, his armor was blaster-proof even if he didn’t reflect it with his own lightsaber, and his armor-weave cape could be used as a shield against just about anything.

“Where did you get that one, anyway?” Leia asked. “I remember you losing the blue one after…” she trailed off.

“I built it,” Luke answered, ignoring her reference to Bespin. A large fallen tree blocked their path and Luke began to climb it.

She stopped. “You built it?” she repeated. “Why haven’t you been building more? Luke, we could have armed all the Rebels with—”

“Each lightsaber needs a Kyber Crystal to work,” Luke cut in hurriedly. “That’s what makes the blade. And Kyber Crystals are very rare.”

Leia wasn’t satisfied. “Where do they come from?” she demanded. He held out a hand to her from the top of the tree to pull her on top of the mossy wood with him.

Luke sighed. “A planet called…Ilum,” he said. He paused on top of the fallen tree, and then looked up at the Death Star overhead. Leia was racking her brain, trying to remember if she knew that planet in her many travels throughout the galaxy. She paced the top of the tree, looking for the best spot to climb down. “The Crystals are what power the Death Star,” Luke said softly.

Leia stopped beside him, stunned by the news. She joined him in looking up at the superweapon. How strange to think that the Death Star was simply a really big lightsaber.

Luke turned his attention back to traveling and he hopped off the tree to the other side. Leia climbed down more slowly. “Not only that, but Kyber Crystals are alive, in their own way.”

“Luke. They’re rocks.”

“Force rocks,” he corrected with a teasing grin. “The Crystal actually chooses the Jedi. They’ll still work in a saber if you use one that’s not yours, but if you do, the Force won’t quite…flow right.” Luke shifted his gloved prosthetic hand to brush it against the hilt of his lightsaber.

Leia mulled that over for a moment. “So, if we take Vader’s lightsaber, he won’t be as strong?” She couldn’t help but search for weaknesses in her enemies; it was a talent of hers. Exploiting vulnerabilities.

Luke winced. “No, Sith don’t do it that way.” He sighed again. “Sith Lords force their lightsaber Crystals to submit to them and work properly. They fill it with hatred until the Crystals bleed and turn red.” Luke sounded sad about that. Leia wondered if it was because he knew Vader, their father, had done it, or because he pitied the Crystal. Leia, however, found that she couldn’t pity a rock.

“So if I want a Crystal, I have to go to Ilum?” she doubted she would ever get the chance, but she did find this subject interesting.

Luke stopped again and Leia paused at his side. He stared at her for a moment before lifting a hand to her shoulder. “The Empire has taken over Ilum, Leia,” Luke said softly. “They’ve stripped the Crystals from it to use for the Death Stars. There’s not many left. Your Crystal, which had been waiting for you for thousands of years, has almost certainly been taken by them. It was probably destroyed when we blew up the first Death Star.”

Leia took a second to absorb that before she turned to look up at the second Death Star yet again. She wondered if her Crystal was up there, but had to face the reality that the chances were slim. The first Death Star hadn’t just taken Alderaan from her, it turned out. It’d taken her Crystal, too.

It’s just a rock, Leia tried to tell herself.

A rock that would have given me an amazing laser-sword, another side of her said wistfully. She could use another Crystal (if she ever found one), as Luke had said, but it wouldn’t be the same. And even though she couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry for Crystals that had been forced to bleed, that didn’t mean she would do it to one herself to get one to work for her.

Add ‘stole my lightsaber before I could even use it’ to the long list of the Empire’s crimes.

“You’ve had two Crystals,” Leia said casually, beginning to walk again at a brisk, abrupt place. The insects here were eating her alive.

It took a moment for Luke to catch up with her. “The first one was my father’s; that’s why it accepted me. But it wasn’t quite the same.” He tapped his lightsaber hilt. “This one has a Crystal I found in old Ben’s house, along with other materials I found there.” He paused, then said, “It works for me better.”

He went on conversationally. “I’ve read as much as I could from Ben’s journals and other Jedi records. Some Jedi get more than one Crystal, and some Crystals choose more than one Jedi, but it’s rare.” He took Leia’s hand again. “I told you that because I didn’t want to get your hopes up, Leia, but the Force finds a way. We’ve always done the impossible. If there’s a Crystal out there for you, we’ll find it.”

Leia gave him a weak smile. A dark part of her admitted that she just wanted more reasons to be mad at the Empire.

OOO

When Luke and Leia finally found an Imperial patrol and surrendered themselves, Leia glared death to each and every one of them. Her pride screamed not to go without a fight (and there were quite a few moments where she saw an opportunity to attack), but she restrained. Luke remained emotionless and calm throughout the whole ordeal. He didn’t even react to the binders that were put on him. Leia, however, couldn’t help but hiss like a Kyrat Dragon.

Leia held her chin high and walked like the Princess she was as they led her to the base. Everyone was taller than her. She wanted to strangle them for it.

Finally, an officer led them into the makeshift base. Leia scanned it for weakness and spotted quite a few. It looked like the Empire had slapped this base together in a week. Hope bloomed in her heart that her Rebels would have an easier time taking it down. Only three stormtroopers and the officer were guarding them—Leia and Luke could take them easily, she thought. Was this place truly so underhanded?

Hm, or perhaps this was too easy. Too good to be true. What if this weak defense was just an appearance, and it was all a trap?

Leia was distracted from her worries when the door swung upwards. A stormtrooper poked her back with his blaster to push her forward. At least he hadn’t shoved her; Leia knew plenty of Imperials who liked to do that. Which was fully unnecessary.

She stepped through, and there he was. Darth Vader himself. She swallowed and refused to panic, despite the memories of pain rippling through her skin. Images of horror clawed at her eyes, the steady sound of his breath whispered in her ears, fear clutched her mind, her heart, her lungs, and begged her feet to run. No, she stood firm, indominable, her spirit unconquered.  She was just as bold as she had been when he had captured her on the Tantive IV. The only change was that she was smarter now.

Great stars, she was his daughter. That was still something she was struggling to absorb.

The officer stepped up to Vader. “These are Rebels that surrendered to us,” the officer presented. Vader’s helmet trailed from the direction of the officer as he spoke, briefly pausing on Leia but lingering on Luke. Leia held back her huff of indignance. “Although they deny it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area.”

Leia kept her face neutral, but she cursed internally. Had she and Luke just warned the Imperials of their friends? Had they ruined the mission?

No, she thought. Luke said that Vader could sense him. Vader, and thus the Imperials, had already known the Rebels were here. She hadn’t ruined everything.

The officer held out Luke’s lightsaber that they had confiscated from him, drawing Vader’s attention back. “The boy was armed only with this.” He then jerked his head in a gesture to Leia. “The Princess was armed with two blasters and other assorted equipment.”

The ‘other equipment’ was some rope, food, extra blaster charges, a couple explosives, hunting knifes, and pocket knives. Leia probably should have left the weapons with the Rebels, but it just hadn’t crossed her mind. Too late now. And why two blasters? What, Leia liked to have backup.

Vader held out his black leather hand and took Luke’s lightsaber. “Good work, Commander,” Vader appraised in that deep, mechanical voice. “Leave us. Conduct your search and bring their companions to me. Take the Princess to my ship—”

“No,” Luke interrupted. “She stays with us.”

Cold silence.

The temperature in the room dropped, which didn’t make sense as Endor was a warm planet. Leia clenched her fists to keep from shivering. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the stormtroopers shake and took a bit of satisfaction at her superiority in self-control. But then she saw Vader’s masked gaze turn on her, pulling her focus. She met it head on. Just because he was her biological father didn’t mean he had any sort of power over her. In all the time she had the misfortune to be near him, Vader had used intimidation, shouting, torture, even his own blasted height to try and force Leia down. Well, it wasn’t happening. Not now—not ever.

Vader turned away first, which Leia counted as a win. The Sith Lord looked at Luke, who also met his gaze calmly. Vader’s grip tightened on the lightsaber for a moment, before something seemed to shift in the air and the warmth of Endor slowly drew back in.

“Very well,” Vader relented.

The officer looked surprised, but didn’t hesitate to escape. He turned away and the three of them didn’t move an inch even after the stormtroopers shut the door.

Family reunion, yay.

Leia stood there while Luke and Vader stared at one another. It certainly made her feel like a third wheel. Vader was hyper-focused on Luke. She wondered, if she found a blaster or lightsaber right now, would Vader be so distracted that she could kill him? Probably not.

“You obviously have a reason for wanting to keep the Princess close to you,” Vader finally said. “Something beyond mere companionship…” his deep voice was contemplative. “…Why would you even bring her along? You came so I could not find your friends by hunting you, but there was no need for her to come as well. It is counterproductive of your desire to protect her. You have placed her in our hands. Why?”

“You’re smart, figure it out,” Leia hissed before Luke could respond.

Vader finally turned his gaze to look at her. She did not cower. “Perhaps she refused to let you go alone?”

I’m right here, she wanted to shout. Don’t talk about me as if I’m not.

He pressed on, voice becoming mocking. “Or perhaps she was too afraid to be alone?”

“Perhaps she knows more than you,” she said haughtily.

“How is Captain Solo, Your Highness?” Vader sneered.

“Perfect, actually, thank you for asking,” she sneered right back. The Imperials had to know by now that Han had been freed from Jabba. If Vader was going to lord over her how he had frozen her love in carbonite, she was going to lord over him how she had broken Han out.

Vader growled and whirled back on Luke, lifting a finger to point at him. “I wish to speak to you alone. The Princess will remain right here while we go to the end of the hall. If she so much as twitches—”

Leia twitched, just for the heck of it, but Vader didn’t seem to notice it. The Sith Lord stopped talking because Luke interrupted again. “She stays with us.”

Vader was silent for two of his breath cycles. “Us?”

Leia rolled her eyes and wondered if it was Luke’s use of ‘us’ that had convinced Vader to let her stay in the first place. He obviously wanted to talk to Luke about their father-son relationship, but it was a secret. Vader didn’t know she knew. She gave a nonchalant roll of her shoulders. “Daddy a little clingy?”

Vader’s helmet snapped to look at her and she gave an innocent grin. Oh, it was so fun to sass and mess with these Imperials, they were all too stuck up.

“Leia,” Luke hissed a soft warning. She caught his eyes and for the briefest second saw a flicker of concern in them. That was enough to break through her malice. She huffed but held her tongue…for now.

Vader slowly turned his head back to Luke, finger still pointed at him. “You told her?”

Luke met his gaze calmly. “I have, Father.”

Leia tried not to gag at that term. She’d sooner cut out her own tongue than call Vader that.

Vader was silent for another few breath cycles before he straightened, withdrawing his hand. “So. You have finally accepted the truth.” It was difficult to find Vader’s emotions in his voice with the mechanics interfering with it. But perhaps he sounded prideful? Leia scoffed, she must be wrong.

“I’ve accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father—”

“That name—” Vader growled, this time the hand holding his lightsaber coming up to point at Luke “—no longer has any meaning for me.”

Leia blinked. “But you were Anakin Skywalker,” she pointed out.

Vader turned to look at her again, and she could feel his glare through the eye lenses. “Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him.”

…Leia’s head was starting to hurt.

“What?” she asked, glancing at Luke whom looked as confused as she was. She then gave Vader a falsely-concerned look and used her best princess voice. “It seems you are delusional as well arrogant, Lord Vader.” She made a thoughtful look. “However, if you do wish to kill yourself, I certainly won’t stop you. In fact, would you like some assistance?” She caught Luke giving her a hurt look—only that made her feel guilty.

Vader whipped out a com device from his belt faster than she could blink—seemingly he had pulled it out with the Force.

“No, she stays with us!” Luke repeated for a third time. He lifted his bound hands as if about to reach for Vader’s and take the com but thought better of it.

“Give me one good reason—”

“She’s my twin sister,” Luke answered, voice dead.

Vader’s breathing hitched. Leia hadn’t even known that could happen. It wasn’t quite a stop, but the breathing mechanism did have some sort of jolt. A whoosh—kirk! Hm, well, if it broke now, that would be quite convenient. But no, it went on, slower and slightly more wheezing.

Well, Leia, she thought with an internal sigh, one way or another, your life just ended. Leia had watched Vader pursue Luke relentlessly across the galaxy, with an endless, obsessive, unstoppable drive that only now made sense—he was after his son. If some miracle did happen and Leia lived, and she escaped from the Empire, Vader would be after her and it would only be a matter of time before she was caught again. He wouldn’t stop, he wouldn’t let her go. Not now, not now that he knew she was his daughter.

For quite a long time nothing happened. Long enough that Leia wondered yet again that if she just had some sort of weapon here…perhaps something was here that could be used as a weapon…

Vader slowly turned his helmet to look at her. Leia became still, cleared her mind and stared back at him, indifferent. Despite her arrogant behavior, she did fear him—greatly. She merely knew how to set aside that fear, conquer it, cover it up. Use it to drive her forward. There were some in the Rebellion who called her the ‘fearless leader,’ but that couldn’t be less true. She just knew how to push through it.

But right now, she was afraid to her bones. Vader was terrible enough, and now, she had this horrible link to him through blood. Her very DNA…she had never wished to get out of her own body so much. There was no escape from him.

She hated the way he was staring. A few clever remarks appeared in her head.

“Don’t expect me to wear black.”

“Personally I don’t see the resemblance.”

“Surprise, you’re a father. How many other fathers and daughters have you killed?”

“What insane woman is our mother?”

“If you ever call me ‘daddy’s little girl,’ so help me I’ll—”

But she held her tongue because even the slightest part of her admitted how much of a shock this was for him. She supposed she could grant him silence, at least, no matter how much she hated him.

“You realize you’ve tortured your own daughter—”

“Don’t ever expect me to accept you—”

“We will always be enemies—”

Though Vader moved slowly and cautiously, he still took her by surprise when took hold of her chin. Every muscle in Leia’s body tensed in panic at the contact. She fully expected him to strangle her, to strike her, to snap her neck, and for a moment she was almost blind with fear, trying to figure out how he was going to hurt her and how she was going to survive it. But then her mind finally figured it out—he wasn’t hurting her. He was still merely staring.

She blinked twice in surprise, before jerking her face out of his grip. She grimaced at him in disgust and he withdrew his hand in a movement she couldn’t read, despite her ‘instincts’ trying—nervousness? The hand clenched into a fist.

“Obi-Wan hid you from me,” Vader said softly. “The Organas hid you from me.” Suddenly the pillars of the walkway began to shake. Leia looked side to side—earthquake? Were the Rebels attacking? Or was this…Vader?

Luke quickly placed himself between Leia and Vader. Though his hands were still bound, he looked ready to fight. But Vader did not direct whatever rage he felt on them; his free right hand lashed out, swiping at the air to his side, and an invisible power destroyed one of the towering trees just outside the base, crumbling it into splinters. Branches snapped, leaves dissolved themselves, the wood exploded.

Leia stared at the tree which had abruptly destroyed itself. Or Vader had destroyed it. What kind of power was that? She and Luke had almost suffered that, if Vader hadn’t redirected it onto the tree. She shivered to think that power that crumpled the ancient tree turned on their small, frail bodies. She supposed, grimly, that it wouldn’t be too terrible of a way to go; at least it would be quick.

“They turned you against me,” Vader hissed.

Leia narrowed her eyes from behind Luke. “I think you handled that quite well yourself.”

“Both of you,” Vader went on, perhaps not hearing her in his anger. “You should have been with me all along.” Vader drew himself up to his full, imposing, monstrous height and fear clutched both Leia and her brother as Vader towered over both of them. “You both are mine.”

“Father, please, calm down,” Luke beseeched. Leia coughed to hide her second gag at that term. Even hearing it sounded like poison. “I know there is good in you! The Emperor hasn’t driven it from you fully.”

He looks pretty full of evil to me.

Vader’s eye shields locked on Luke, the Sith’s focus entirely on him. Something shifted in Leia through her fear—the need to protect her brother arose. She knew she had to draw the full brunt of Vader’s wrath off him, somehow.

“Don’t act so surprised, Lord Vader,” Leia said mockingly. His helmet swung on her, as she intended, and she kept her expression blank. It was a subtle reminder of the words he had said forever ago to her, and, she hoped, would remind him of the harm he had done then.

Whatever he remembered, whatever went through his dark head, his rage calmed and he stepped back. Both Leia and Luke cautiously straightened from their recoiled stances. Luke glanced back at her and their eyes met, both checking to make sure the other was alright. Then they turned back to look at Vader.

Vader did not seem entirely recomposed from his rage when he spoke next. “Where did you learn this?”

“Master Yoda,” Luke answered softly, “he told me a few days ago.”

Rage once again permeated the air, like frost crawling on Leia’s skin. “He lives?” Vader hissed.

“No,” Luke’s voice became even lower. “He died just after he revealed it to me.” Leia doubted Vader would believe Luke, even if it was the truth.

Leia glanced between Luke and Vader. Though she could not exactly explain how, she…sensed something pass between them. Was this the Force? Some energy beyond the might of their gazes. What were they doing?

“It was he who has been training you after Obi-Wan,” Vader murmured.

Wait, Vader actually did believe Luke about Yoda being dead? Was that what they had been doing through the Force? Leia made a mental note to be careful with her lies around Force-users, and silently cursed Luke for not explaining it to her.

“Yes,” Luke admitted, still in that whispering tone. Leia could tell from the gentleness and obedience in Luke’s voice that he was trying to calm Vader down further with his easy compliance.

Vader turned his masked gaze on Leia and she glared back. “Did he teach her?”

“No,” Luke said, shifting himself the tiniest bit to hide Leia behind him more. “She never met him.” Leia wondered what might have happened if she had.

Vader watched them for another moment before he lifted Luke’s lightsaber in his hand to look at it. “I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. Did he teach you how?”

Luke flicked his eyes down to it. “No. But I had notes. From B—Obi-Wan.”

Leia flinched when Vader ignited the lightsaber—she couldn’t help it. Vader could shout and tower and threaten all he wanted, but when he drew his saber, that meant death. That meant he had decided to kill you, and you were going to die. She struggled against her heartbeat as its pace sped up. Even Luke tensed, and eyed the green blade warily.

Vader, seeming completely oblivious to their nervousness, turned the blade over in his hands, even giving it a small experimental swipe that both Leia and Luke leaned away from. “This is well-made,” Vader said finally. “Your skills are complete.”

He withdrew it and turned away from them. Leia debated confronting him about the issue of her lightsaber Crystal, but held her tongue. Both she and Luke exchanged glances yet again. How strange, Leia thought, for Vader to turn his back on them. He should know that they were enemies, that he should always face them, no matter how they were bound and weaponless. What did he think he was doing?

“Indeed you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen,” Vader murmured.

Leia’s eyes narrowed. Vader did not seem particularly…happy about that. Not that the man was ever happy, but there was…regret?

Luke took a careful step forward, towards him, and Leia wanted to grab her brother and wrench him away. “Come with me, Father.” Vader did not respond. “Father, Leia and I are here for you. Come with us.”

Vader glanced over his shoulder to look at Leia; question clear.

“I’m here for Luke,” she said flatly, stepping up to her brother’s side. That she wanted Vader to understand. There was no future for the two of them. He had ruined that long ago.

“Leia,” Luke said disappointedly.

A strange sound came from Vader, covered by the voice coder, that drew both of their attention. What had that been? A huff? A bitter…laugh? “She sees the truth,” Vader said bluntly. “Obi-Wan once thought as you do, my son.” If Vader ever called Leia ‘daughter’ she didn’t know what she would do but it wouldn’t be good. Vader turned and took a step towards them, and they both took a half-step back, two children in the presence of a killer. “You don’t know the power of the Dark Side.” He drew himself up. “I must obey my Master.”

Leia narrowed her eyes. How strange to see Darth Vader, a creature with so much power, admit such submission. “You’re a slave, then.”

Vader’s helmet moved to look at her and his fists clenched. But he didn’t deny it.

Luke spoke up. “Neither of us will turn,” he said determinedly. He suddenly took Leia’s hand. “You’ll be forced to kill us.”

Leia faced death down more times than she could count; she didn’t fear it. Was it better or worse, however, with her brother at her side? Helpless to save him, knowing he would die? Or at least having him with her until the end?

Vader’s tone was neutral. “If that is your destiny.”

Leia narrowed her eyes into slits. “You seem so concerned.” She met Vader’s masked eyes. She didn’t expect him to care, but with Luke here, she expected him to respond somehow. Luke was baring his heart to this Sith; Vader had less emotion than a droid.

“Embrace the Dark Side,” Vader intoned to her. “And you will rule the Galaxy by the Emperor’s side, and know power unlike anything you have felt before.”

Still clutching Leia’s hand behind him, Luke stepped forward. “Search your feelings, Father. You can’t do this. I feel the conflict within you, let go of your hate!”

Leia tightened her grip on her brother’s hand, wondering if Vader would kill him just for saying such things. Luke had matured much over the time Leia had known him, but his spirit of hope had never dampened, never faltered. Yet it appeared now was the time it finally failed. All because of Vader.

Darth Vader, their very father, was breaking her brother’s heart. Leia could watch Vader burn in Hell for all she cared (in fact she’d probably enjoy it) but watching her brother’s dream be crushed made her seethe with anger. Vader couldn’t let go of his rage even for Luke. Of all—

“…It is…too late, for me, son,” Vader said softly.

Leia froze. That was true regret, that was true sorrow. Did Vader actually care? Did he actually see the strength of Luke’s hope, Luke’s desire? And yet he still refused?

Coward, Leia’s mind spat. That only made it worse.

Vader gestured and two stormtroopers walked in, quickly flanking Leia and Luke. Leia stepped up beside her brother, squeezing his hand to offer what support she could. The look on his face was heartbreaking. She glared furiously at Vader, as if she could somehow kill him with only a look.

“The Emperor will show you both the true nature of the Force,” Vader said, any emotion or care in his body language or voice gone. “He is your Master now.”

Leia still glared death at Vader while Luke nodded in sad acceptance. His voice was dry as Tatooine when he spoke. “Then my father is truly dead.”

And with that, Luke stepped towards the elevator. But he paused when he noticed Leia wasn’t moving. She stayed, completely still before Darth Vader. Oh, she wanted to hurt him for hurting her brother. And she had just the way to do it.

“I expected nothing from you once you knew,” she said, all eyes on her. She couldn’t, of course, reveal their relation in front of these stormtroopers. But she didn’t need to. “Yet you managed to do even less.”

With that, she turned away and walked past her brother. He came up beside her, and she felt his eyes on him, but she stared ahead. The stormtroopers joined them as they stepped into the elevator. Leia turned to face the door but didn’t so much as glance at Vader, staring after them. The door slammed shut, and the elevator began to take them up to the ship that would transport them to the Death Star…to the Emperor.

Chapter Text

The two stormtroopers stood guard at their sides as Leia and Luke sat within Vader’s Lambda-class shuttle. They both were still bound and were waiting for flight preparations to finish so the ship could take them up to the Death Star. Leia was glad that she hadn’t been separated from her brother. She didn’t know how much time she had left to live, but she wanted to spend it with him.

“Your plan didn’t work,” she murmured to him. Luke leaned closer to hear her. “He isn’t going to turn.” Luke didn’t respond but stared at their joined hands on their laps. Her heart cracked at his distant expression. “I’m sorry, Luke.” She had known it had been hopeless, but she had wanted to spare her brother from this pain.

“No,” he said, lifting his eyes and boring them into hers. “I’m sorry. I convinced you to come. I should have left you behind.”

Leia gave a snort before lowering her voice again, so the troopers wouldn’t hear. “Vader’s right about one thing,” she said, “I wouldn’t have let you come alone.”

“You’ve always been strong,” Luke gave a wisp of a smile.

“You bet it, flyboy,” Leia huffed, doing anything to keep that smile, to make it grow. It did, for a few more seconds, but left all too soon. Luke’s eyes trailed off in regret, guilt, and remorse. Leia hissed. Vader didn’t deserve what love Luke was offering him, and he was a fool not to take it.

She knew her brother’s thoughts but decided to clarify them. “So you’ve given up on Vader?” If Luke decided the mission was a failure, that meant they could fight. There was no way they could escape, especially not with Vader here, but they could do some damage and take some Imperials down with them…heck, maybe even Vader himself.

Luke fidgeted. “I don’t know,” he said finally. “I still feel the conflict in him, but I don’t know if it’s strong enough to bring him back.”

Leia sighed. Even when clearly confronted with the truth, Luke still held on to straws of hope. She changed the subject. “Tell me more about the Dark Side,” she said. Leia knew that there were two sides of the Force, Light and Dark, but knew nothing about them except that good guys used Light and bad guys used Dark. As with most things in this galaxy, Leia knew it was probably a lot more complicated than that.

Luke blinked, distracted from whatever thoughts he’d been having about Vader, and mulled his words over for a moment. “The Dark Side is fear, anger, hatred, and aggression. Negative emotions that aren’t handled properly. The Force tends to…feed on such uncontrolled passions and strengthen them, giving you more power in the Force that is easy to lose yourself in. The hostile emotions grow the more you use them with the Force, becoming more and more violent. It’s easier to use, but it eventually consumes you. It’s a cycle that feeds on itself.”

“Anger and passions?” Leia repeated. That didn’t sound good. She used her anger all the time. In some of the most desperate moments of the Alliance, anger and the need for revenge were the only things keeping her going. Should she refuse to use the Force, to keep herself from the Dark Side?

“When uncontrolled,” Luke nodded. “Selfishness, in particular. Master Yoda warned me against attachments, too. He said they caused too much turmoil.” Luke’s face twisted. “But I think love is the most selfless thing there is.” His eyes became distant again as they trailed to the door. “If Vader cared about me more than himself, if he…” If he loved me.

Leia kept her face stone. Even if Vader turned, she doubted he could do that.

…Then again…Vader’s soft words to Luke, the regret she had seen in him. The hopelessness. Perhaps Vader doubted that he could do it just as she did, and that stopped him from even trying to resist the Dark Side’s influence. From trying to love.

“I knew he was struggling inside when we fought before,” Luke went on. “I thought, if he knew about you—that between the two of us, it would be enough for the Light in him to win.”

Ah, but Leia wasn’t offering Vader the precious love and light that Luke was, was she? Why would Vader turn for her? Luke may be bringing out Vader’s Light, Luke may be giving Vader hope, but Leia certainly wasn’t. She wasn’t sure she could, nor was she inclined to try. Why should she, after all Vader had done to her?

For Luke?

She didn’t want to.

Leia changed the subject before her mind tore itself apart with guilt and selfishness. “So Vader is taking us to the Emperor so he can turn us to the Dark Side?” Leia had never seen the Emperor in person, perhaps from very far away once or twice in a senator’s meeting or party. Of course, she’d grown up surrounded by his images. But in her all time on Coruscant, she’d never truly faced him. She honestly counted herself lucky for that; she’d heard whispers of his true appearance, not just what the Imperial propaganda made him look like. But now, she would have to face him and endure his focus. What was he like for real, with all the lies around him striped away? She knew plenty of rumors about him from both the Senate and the Rebels. She wondered which ones were true.

“Yes,” Luke locked eyes with her. The blue pools burned with intensity. “He will be crafty, Leia, but we mustn’t turn. We cannot even begin to go down that path, for the Dark Side will only lure us more and more.”

“Don’t do evil things, got it,” Leia said, elbowing Luke in hope of putting cracks in his serious face. She was heeding his warnings, but she didn’t know how much time she had left with him. She didn’t want it to be all gloom. Yet that thought brought the unavoidable truth down upon her, and it came through her lips before she thought better of it. “If all goes well, we won’t have to resist for long.”

They were both quiet at that. They were going to the Death Star. The Rebels were coming to blow it up. The Rebels wouldn’t stop their attack for them, and neither Luke nor Leia would want them to. They were going to die on that battle station, one way or another.

“I’m sorry I brought you along, Leia,” Luke softly said again.

“We’ll be distracting the Emperor and Vader,” Leia said in a low voice with a quick glance to the stormtroopers in front of them. “Helping our friends in whatever way we can; I wouldn’t want to go out any other way.”

The look Luke gave her was both of admiration and sorrow. He started to say something, but then he froze and looked to the ramp. Leia was about to ask him what it was when the ramp of the shuttle dropped open with a burst of steam, startling her. Two stormtroopers at his side, Darth Vader swept up inside. His mask immediately locked in on them, and they stared defiantly back for a moment. There was tension in the small space of the ship’s compartment before Vader turned away and paced past them, towards the cockpit. Both Leia and Luke watched his every tense move. He seemed even more rigid than usual.

When the door shut behind him and he was gone, Leia exchanged a look with her brother. Did he still think Vader could be saved? He hadn’t even spoken to them.

She felt the engines activate beneath her and the shuttle lifted off, ascending into space. Leia placed her head on Luke’s shoulder, their hands entwined. She wished she had had more time with her brother. The past years with him in the Rebellion had been harsh and full of turmoil, but even through that they had found some joy together. What if he had been with her on Alderaan? Breha and Bail—Leia’s real mother and father—would have adored him. The people of Alderaan would have adored him. But then, would he be gone along with Alderaan if that had happened? She shuddered just thinking about it.

Luke’s arm twitched, and she knew he wanted to put it around her. She would have welcomed the hug, but the binders didn’t allow it. Leia stared at the bulky cuffs on her hands. Always the Empire, restraining them, even in little ways.

They stayed like that, as close to each other as they could get, until the shuttle slowed and thunked as it landed. They didn’t bother to move even when Vader came out and froze when he saw them together like this. The two stormtroopers at their sides finally moved.

“Get up,” one said roughly, grabbing Leia by her forearm and forcibly pulling her from Luke and to her feet. Luke quickly stood with her.

Vader suddenly appeared between Leia and the stormtrooper, shoving the trooper back from her. The black leather brushed against her and Leia jumped back into Luke, who caught her and held her steady as much as he could with the binders restricting him. She grimaced at having Vader close enough to touch her. She might have shouted at him had she not felt the rage that suddenly infused the air like smoke. She looked up at Vader’s back as he stared down the stormtrooper, fists clenched and stance widened as if to make himself as big a barrier between Leia and the stormtrooper as he could.

There was a pause as everyone in the room wondered if Vader would kill this poor trooper.

“You will remain here,” Vader finally ground out, before whirling on Leia and Luke. He lifted an arm, not quite reaching for her but guiding her movement to the ramp. Wanting to be as far away from the contact as possible, Leia clung to her brother’s side and walked down, Vader behind both of them. Leia’s spine was stiff as durasteel at leaving Vader at her back, but she refused to give him any more of her attention. She forced her eyes to stay forward.

What had all that been about? Vader appeared to be very territorial with her and Luke. But obviously pushing off a stormtrooper was very different from pushing off, say, the Emperor of the known Galaxy. Did he expect them to be grateful for his protectiveness? Leia had been shoved around by troopers more times than she could count. Stormtroopers always seemed to like to shove their prisoners, so much so that Leia wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it was a part of their very training. Even being a princess didn’t seem to deter them much.

She focused back on where she was going. Through the hallways of a Death Star, yet again. It felt like she had stepped into one of her memories…one of her nightmares. She half expected to turn a corner and see Grand Moff Tarkin, with his cold glittering eyes and knife-thin smile, politely and elegantly telling her that he was about to destroy everything she loved. She shivered, and her brother brushed his shoulder against hers. She glanced at him, a twitch of a smile in thanks. He kept her grounded here. He was what was different. Hekept her from falling into mad flashbacks.

She wondered if her Crystal was here, like Luke had suggested. She didn’t feel anything, but she supposed she didn’t even know what she was supposed to be feeling. Even if she did, she knew Vader wouldn’t agree if she asked for a detour to the Death Star’s power core so she could take a vital part of it.

They turned a corner, and at the end of the corridor were two men in red cloaks and masks. Leia missed one step but corrected herself. That bright uniform meant Red Guards, Imperial Guards of the Emperor himself. Their long matching Force-pikes hummed in their hands. Their masked helmets did not so much as twitch or tilt in interest as Leia approached them. She came to a halt and Vader stepped forward. “The Emperor is expecting us.”

One of the Red Guards merely nodded, and the elevator door slid open. Vader turned his mask to look at Leia and Luke, and the two of them stepped forward inside. Leia worried how they were all supposed to fit in this small place and was relieved to see the stormtroopers back away—they weren’t coming. Vader, on the other hand, was. He stepped right between Leia and Luke, his cape nipping at their heels. Leia resisted the urge to press herself against the elevator wall to be as far away from him as possible. Luke only stared forward at the doorway as it closed.

Silence, and a whole lot of tension. Vader’s breathing was the only sound. Leia didn’t dare say a word. She wished she could be beside her brother again, but tall, dark, and evil was in the way.

The elevator began to slow, and Leia realized that when that door opened again, they would be in the Emperor’s throne room. She glanced at her brother behind Vader’s bulky frame; his expression was completely calm and neutral. She was a princess, she could keep her composure easily, but she had to say that Luke’s control impressed her right now. Where had that moister farm-boy who wore his heart on his shoulders gone? Replaced by this focused Jedi Knight? Leia knew he still had that same hope he had begun with, but it had been trained, grown from ignorance and naivety to experience and wisdom.

The elevator stopped slowly and the door slid open with a hiss. A dark open room was before them, and as Leia, Vader, and Luke stepped in, she had the horrible feeling she had just left the whole galaxy behind and entered a much different, much darker world. Almost all the light came from large, spiderweb-like windows, which wasn’t much light at all. The stars feebly provided their minimal glow, unable to bring warmth to this cold hollow place. A metal stairway led up to the center window, and in the middle of it, like a spider awaiting its prey, was the throne. It was turned away from them, the venomous predator facing the empty expanse of space.

Vader shepherded them forward, the three of them climbing the staircase to the creature who waited above. Although he was turned away, Leia felt that her every move was being watched, considered, calculated…hunted. She kept her face blank, chin up, shoulders back. She was undaunted.

And yet…she suddenly felt something strange. In the stark coldness of this room, she felt a light, beyond the warmth of herself and her brother. Like a single, tiny ray of sunshine warming her skin through the cold air…calling to her. She glanced as Vader discreetly. Was it from him? Was that what Luke had been talking about?

They reached the top of the stairs and stood before the throne. Leia dared not turn away from it, but she heard Vader’s breathing behind her. The chair slowly turned around to face them. Leia didn’t see any signs of a motor in it—controlled by the Force, she wondered in the back of her mind? But her main focus was the occupant.

In any public holos of him, Emperor Palpatine had the appearance of a stereotype kindly old man, completely nonthreatening. Leia knew, however, that those images were what he had looked like during the time of the Republic, two decades ago. She knew the images had to be edited, but still some part of her expected the Emperor to even somewhat resemble the grandfatherly figure she’d grown up seeing.

He most definitely was not that.

He wore a simple black cloak and kept the dark hood up, shrouding himself in mystery that was somehow even more terrifying. But beneath that hood gleamed his off-white skin, icy cruel smile, and glittering yellow-red eyes, those of a monster. Whoever was in charge of changing the Emperor’s public face, Leia didn’t know whether to be horrified or impressed. Perhaps both.

“Welcome, young Skywalker,” Emperor called, eyes on Luke. They lingered there for a moment before trailing to Leia. Leia dug her nails into her palms to keep still under that hard gaze, but her every muscle wanted to run, run far away. She reminded herself that this was the man truly responsible for both Death Stars, for the loss of her planet, and for the pain of the galaxy. This was the man who deserved all her hate.

The Emperor’s smile dropped. “I did not instruct the Princess to be brought here,” he said disdainfully, eyes still on her, but he was clearly addressing Vader.

“There was…a complication,” Vader ventured, his ‘Master’s’ eyes turning on him. Vader hesitated a moment longer, before he spoke. “They are twins, my Master.” He lifted his head. “She is the boy’s sister. They are both mine.”

For a moment, the Emperor did nothing. But then his face broke out into a wide smile. Leia grimaced. A regular grin on that ugly face was unpleasant. But the sick, twisted smirk of satisfaction that infected the Emperor’s already defiled face could make one ill. A dark laugh poured from his lips, echoing throughout the shadowy room.

“The Force has such surprises,” the Emperor said, his pleasure evident in his voice. He turned his focus on her. “Then you are welcome as well, Leia Skywalker.”

“Organa,” she hissed. Behind her, she heard leather creak as Vader’s fist clenched tightly. She wasn’t going to accept that name. She wasn’t going to give up the name of her real parents, especially not for Vader’s.

The Emperor’s smile broadened. “Your unexpected revelation is most…opportune.” Leia suddenly felt as if her mind was surrounded by a snowstorm, clutched in uncaring coldness. Icy fingers seemed to be pressing their way into her skull. She shook her head but that did nothing. This wasn’t natural. Leia looked up back at the Emperor, his smile still holding, but now filled with knowledge.

Leia narrowed her eyes. She may not know much about the Force, but she would not be pushed around. She imagined fire. She imagined lava and blazes and volcanic suns, covering and protecting all her other thoughts. Fire pushed back the ice before the flames molded themselves into stony walls around her mind, locking her intellect away.

The Emperor laughed yet again. “She is untrained, but has excellent and promising talents, my Apprentice.” Leia doubted she had actually managed to fight off the Emperor’s probe, but rather, he had been testing her. She hated it. The Emperor’s eyes trailed to Luke. “It would be easier to train the more experienced boy…yet the girl could be of use, as well.”

“I have no desire to be ‘of use’ to you,” Leia snapped. She shot a glare at Vader beside her and was taken aback at how Luke and Vader’s stances currently mirrored each other. Both of them looked ready to charge forward and do…something. Luke’s face was full of concern for her. Vader’s expression could never be seen with his mask, but his hand was ever so slightly subconsciously extended towards her. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Leia returned her glare to the Emperor as his laughter and amusement faded. “You no longer need those.” With a lazy wave of his hand, the binders on Leia and Luke released and fell on the ground with a clunk. Leia refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her rub her wrists. The Emperor lifted his chin to call out behind them. “Guards; leave us.” Leia glanced over her shoulder as she saw the two Red Guards by the elevator swoop away with twirls of their cloaks, simultaneously, like a pair of red birds.

The Emperor tilted his head, eyes flicking back in forth between Leia and Luke. “I’m looking forward to completing your training…and beginning yours,” he added to Leia. “In time, you both will learn to call me…Master.”

“I don’t see that happening,” Leia said flatly.

“She’s right; you’re gravely mistaken,” Luke added. Leia watched her brother through the corner of her eye, and noticed Vader watching him as well. “You won’t convert us as you did our father.”

“Oh no, my young Skywalkers,” the Emperor said, with a false-apology in his tone as he ‘corrected’ them. He stood up and began to head towards them, and Leia saw a glimmer of that grandfatherly persona the Emperor displayed to the rest of the galaxy. “You will find that it is you who are mistaken…about a great many things.”

As the Emperor moved, he leaned down on Luke, closer than that creature ever should be. Leia’s heart gave a flicker of worry and concern—she had to protect Luke. She had to distract or redirect the Emperor, somehow. She opened her mouth to speak when Vader suddenly reached out.

“His lightsaber,” Vader said tonelessly, holding out the hilt. Leia blinked as the Emperor’s focus broke off Luke, leaning back. She narrowed her eyes at Vader, remembering the shuttle where Vader had made the stormtrooper back off her. She had thought that behavior would vanish when with the Emperor, but it seemed it was still here. Vader may have brought them here and put them in danger, but did he still feel the basic instincts to protect Luke, just as Leia did? The impulse to keep Luke out of the line of fire as much as possible? Those drives of a father were built into blood. Did they come through, even with the Dark Side?

“Ah yes,” the Emperor said, taking the lightsaber from Vader’s hand. He observed it for a moment. “A Jedi’s weapon.” His gaze flicked back up to Luke. “Much like your father’s. By now you must know your father can never be turned from the Dark Side,” the Emperor hissed. “So will it be with you.”

Leia glared at the Emperor for wanting to crush her brother’s spirit before she noticed Vader’s mask locked on Luke’s face intently. The focus of him was evident, and Luke glanced at Vader briefly to see it, too. Leia knew that Luke still had some, even distant, hope that Vader could be turned. But with that last comment Luke had made on Endor, about his father being ‘dead,’ did Vader know that? Or did Vader think Luke had given up fully? Or was Vader trying to find out?

“You’re wrong,” Luke said softly. “Soon my sister and I will be dead. And you along with us.”

The Emperor merely chuckled. “Perhaps you refer to imminent attack of your Rebel fleet?”

Leia felt ice grip her heart. Oh no.

Luke’s face slackened. They both stared in shock as the Emperor reveled in both of their astonishment. “Yes…” he murmured. “I assure you; we are quite safe from your friends here.” The Emperor spat before turning around back to his throne. Leia cast a desperate look to Luke behind the Emperor’s back. The Empire already knew about their surprise attack? How had they found out? What could the Rebels do? They had to call it off, they had to warn the Alliance somehow!

“You underestimate us,” Leia spoke up. Just because the Empire knew didn’t mean the attack was hopeless. The entire Rebel fleet was coming—they would either be wiped out, or push through. Of course, if the Empire knew, they wouldn’t have the element of surprise, yet the Rebels could handle themselves in a battle. She just hoped Han could take out that shield for them…

“I think my estimation is quite precise, young princess,” the Emperor said without looking back.

“Your overconfidence is your weakness,” Luke said defiantly. Both Leia’s and Vader’s heads snapped to look at him. Even caught off guard with the Emperor’s knowledge, Luke did not waver.

The Emperor sneered over his shoulder. “Your faith in your friends is yours.”

Faith. Yes, Leia had faith in Han. She knew that even though she and Luke had abandoned him, Han would do everything he could to get that base. If there was one thing Han could do, it was pull of crazy stunts. She loved him for it.

Leia twitched in surprise when Vader spoke. “It is pointless to resist, my children.”

Luke lowered his gaze but didn’t look at Vader. Leia watched the Sith Apprentice in suspicion. Had that been yet more regret in his tone? No one else in the room seemed to catch it. Just her imagination? Was she reading too much into things?

The Emperor reached his throne and leaned comfortably back into it. “Everything that has transpired has done so according to my desire. Your friends, up there on the sanctuary moon…” the Emperor made a careless gesture behind him “are walking into a trap. As is your Rebel fleet.”

Leia felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her. Han.

“It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator,” the Emperor went on with a sneering smile. “It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them.”

She and Luke exchanged looks of fear. “No,” she whispered.

“Yes,” the Emperor hissed. He leaned forward and put on that mockery of a friendly old man yet again. “Oh, I’m afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive.” His face grew into a perverted smirk.

The Emperor turned his head to the window behind him. “Ah, speak of the righteous little Rebels, and they will appear.” He chuckled darkly. “Come, young ones. See for yourselves.” The Emperor made a gesture for the two of them to come forward. Leia was too much in a shocked trance to be revolted. In a daze, she walked forward to see through the window. From a distance, she watched the space battle before them. Star Destroyers were advancing on the Rebel fleet, which barreled forward, ignorant of the reality of the situation.

She felt Vader follow them from behind, but for once she was too distracted to be afraid at his nearness. She turned to look at her brother, but his gaze was locked on the ships outside. “From here, you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance, and the end of your insignificant Rebellion.”

Leia tried to catch her breath. This attack was everything. The Alliance’s advantage was that they were widespread, diverse and supported through thousands of systems. Small and struggling, perhaps, but everywhere. But for this chance, Mon Mothma had called everyone. It was their best shot—and it was a trap.

She shook her head, trying to hold on to her quickly fading hope. “As long as there is oppression, people will rise against it,” she said with more conviction than she felt. “The more you tighten your grip, Your Majesty, the more systems will slip through your fingers. Even if you destroy us, your cruelty will turn your own people into your enemies. You cannot rule by fear.”

“I can, with this battle station. No one would dare fight when it means they will suffer the same fate as Alderaan.” Leia involuntary shivered at the thought of more planets, gone in an instant, like her home.

Luke turned to the Emperor and the Sith Lord smiled, shifting a hand to caress Luke’s lightsaber. “You want this…don’t you? The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon.” His yellow eyes flashed. “Use it. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger.”

Leia remembered what Luke had said about not giving in to the Dark Side. But their friends were all dying. Right now, if she and Luke somehow managed to kill the Emperor, wouldn’t that end all of this? Wasn’t it worth the cost?

“You are filled with it, too, Princess,” the Emperor said, turning to her. “Ah…your rage has been in you for so long. You’ve made so many sacrifices to be where you are now. Is this not simply another sacrifice? Killing me, and saving your friends? Saving planets from the power of this Death Star? You were unable to save your own…will you let this chance pass you by?”

She froze, mind wrestling with all the ways this could go wrong. All the paths before her led to destruction in some way. She was losing focus when Luke took her hand. “No,” her brother spat. She shook her head, not fully ridding it of the darkness clouding around her but remembering the spark of light, even briefly.

The Emperor gave them a pitying look. “With each passing moment you make yourselves more my servants. It is unavoidable. It is your destinies. You both…like your father…are now mine.”

“We are not slaves,” Leia hissed, with a hateful glance at Vader, who loomed beside the Emperor’s throne like a shadow. She believed those who you truly loved belonged to you, and you belonged to whoever loved you back. It was claim on each other’s hearts. But that wasn’t what the Emperor was talking about. “And you have not won yet, Your Majesty.” She sneered the title.

“Your fleet is lost,” the Emperor hissed back. “Your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no chance at victory, Princess. Nor any escape for either of you, my young…Apprentices.”

Both Leia and Luke turned from the viewport to look at him as he went on. “The Alliance will die. As will your friends.”

Han. Force, Leia had known when she had left him last night that it would be the last time she would see him. She had known coming here that she would die. But she had believed there was a future for him. She had believed that he would have taken out the shield, survive the battle, and live a long life, maybe find happiness without her. But to know that he would die…

“Good,” whispered the Emperor, closing his eyes in satisfaction. “I can feel your anger.” He opened them, eyes glittering with urgency and excitement. “I am defenseless. One of you, take the weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journeys towards the Dark Side will be complete!”

Leia was consumed with rage. One of them was going to do it, and she knew it would be her, hand ready to reach for the lightsaber—

The lightsaber flew from the Emperor’s throne and into Luke’s hand. Leia blinked in surprise as her brother ignited it and swung it down on the Emperor. But a second lightsaber ignited, and they clashed above the Emperor’s smiling face.

Leia leapt away from the blades as they drew back yet again and began to have at it. The Emperor’s laughter mixed with the bolts of the sabers as they crashed against each other. She stared in shock and surprise as Luke’s hate-filled gaze locked on Vader, and the Sith Lord advanced upon him.

They moved in a deadly dance, the sabers together, then apart, together, apart. Energy of fear, anger, hatred, filled the air in suffocating quantities. Leia watched in shock from behind the Emperor’s throne as Luke fought Vader, the father he had hoped so desperately to redeem. They were using skills she didn’t understand, she had never seen before. Their strength seemed inhuman, powered by the Force with invisible weight. Luke suddenly kicked, and Vader cried out as he fell down the stairway.

She was speechless, but the Emperor was not. “Good! Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hate flow through you!”

Leia didn’t fully understand how this Dark Side worked, but she knew Luke had to resist the Emperor. “Luke,” she said from behind the throne. He met her eyes. Seeing her fearful expression, his face slackened and then he retracted the lightsaber and turned to face Vader.

Behind Luke’s back, Leia found the Emperor’s eyes pinned on her. In their yellow glow was cold fury—and an unspoken warning. She held the gaze as the knowledge crushed upon her that if she interfered again, the Emperor would punish her. She had no weapon. Luke wasn’t here to help her. Kriff, she would be safer right now if Vader was here by her side, and wasn’t that a horrible thought?

“Obi-Wan has taught you well,” Vader commented from the bottom of the stairs, shifting his lightsaber to his other side.

Luke shook his head. “I will not fight you, Father.”

Leia stared. “Luke, you need to defend yourself. That’s not the Dark Side,” she softly. She gave a hasty glance at the Emperor beside her, who merely leaned back and tented his long white fingers before him.

Vader slowly walked back up the stairs, lightsaber still ignited at his side. Luke stepped back cautiously, but refused to ignite his own, even when Vader reached him. Vader lifted the saber, edging closer to Luke.

“You are unwise to lower your defenses!” and then Vader struck again. Luke ignited his blade just in time to block the attack and they engaged in battle again.

But Leia’s attention was caught. Those words Vader had said…they had been a warning. Vader could have simply attacked, but instead he had hinted at it first. She tilted her head at the Sith. He had been quiet for much of the time here in the throne room, but his few actions and words…hinted at something else.

The Emperor leaned forward to watch in interest as the two fought, Vader advancing as Luke backed up the stairs. But Vader’s strikes pressed Luke against a computer system, soon trapping him from retreat and escape. Leia took a step forward, she wasn’t sure what she planned to do, but then Luke backflipped away onto a higher platform. Vader paused, watching him.

A small grin crossed Luke’s face. “Your thoughts betray you, Father…I feel the good in you. The conflict.”

“There is no conflict,” Vader spat. He lifted his red lightsaber threateningly.

Luke’s smile didn’t falter as he edged across the platform. “You couldn’t bring yourself to kill me before and I don’t think you’ll destroy me now.” Leia’s eyes narrowed. Luke had mentioned Vader not killing him ‘before.’ That must have been in Cloud City, at Bespin. That was the only other time they had fought. Leia knew it had been a miracle that Luke had escaped, injured though he was, but she hadn’t thought it was because Vader didn’t want to kill him.

What did that mean?

“You underestimate the power of the Dark Side,” Vader hissed. “If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny!” Vader threw his lightsaber at the platform, cutting it in half. Luke dodged the swirling blade, but as the platform caved in he slid down it and fell onto the stairway. Luke rolled and slipped in the area behind the stairs, below the throne. He vanished from all of their sights.

“LUKE!” Leia cried out in fear. She noticed Vader pause and look back at her, hesitating for a moment before he turned back around and descended down the stairs.

Beside her, the Emperor laughed. “Good, good, both of you!” he turned to look at Leia. “Your fear will give you strength, young Skywalker, my Apprentices,” he said to her appraisingly. Leia gave him a look of disgust. What she wouldn’t give for a weapon! Even a pocket knife so she could stab the high and mighty Emperor in the back. He chuckled again, probably sensing her hatred.

But wait—there was that light again. Stronger now, like a concentrated beam of a hot summer day. Calling to her, but no one else seemed to be reacting to it. What was it?

She realized Vader had reached the bottom of the stairs and was heading after Luke. She had no idea where Luke was, and quickly she left the Emperor’s side and ran after them. She didn’t look back even as she felt the Emperor’s eyes follow her. She whirled around to the hidden area as she reached the bottom of the stairs, but she only saw Vader standing there, watching her. She stared into the abyss of his masked eyes for a moment before he turned around, pacing through the darkness. This place beneath the throne was even darker than the rest of the room. Vader’s lightsaber was very nearly the only illumination, and he was using it to look for Luke.

“You cannot hide forever, Luke,” Vader called. Leia’s eyes flickered through the darkness, hoping to find him before Vader, but afraid to go in herself. She still had no weapon, and if Vader and Luke clashed again, she didn’t want to get caught. The darkness was an easy place for an accident to happen.

“I will not fight you,” was Luke’s response. Leia clenched her fists. Luke’s insistent refusal was trapping them all. They couldn’t kill the Emperor without getting through Vader first. Leia of all people didn’t want to force Luke into doing something he didn’t want to do, but his faith was misplaced. Vader didn’t care.

Or did he?

Leia hesitated as she thought of all she’d seen Vader do when interacting with them. Her instincts told her Vader was trying to protect them as much as he could, even while he was attacking Luke. She felt the Sith’s regret, sorrow, and hopelessness. But even if he did care for them, which Leia doubted, did he deserve the mercy and forgiveness Luke was offering? Should Luke even be trying? Especially when it obviously wasn’t enough?

Vader was silent for a long moment after Luke’s refusal. Finally, he said “Give yourself to the Dark Side.”

Leia blinked. That wasn’t a mockery of Luke’s hope for Vader, nor was it a further threat. It was a proposed solution, at least in Vader’s eyes. If Luke turned, they could stop fighting. Luke would get to live, without killing his father. He might even be able to find a way to save the Alliance, their friends. But Leia knew the cost would be too great, and Luke would lose himself along the way, become just as twisted and full of hate as Vader. He couldn’t do that, but in Vader’s eyes, it was the only way for this all to end. For Luke to survive.

“No,” Luke refused again.

“Draw the boy out, my Apprentice,” the Emperor suddenly called out. “Attack the girl.”

The room was held in breathless silence for a moment as that idea descended upon each of them. Luke loved Leia—she was an attachment like Yoda had warned Luke about. Leia was defenseless. If Vader attacked, Luke would have to come out from his hiding place to defend her.

She blinked wildly and her vision narrowed in on Vader. But rather than the Sith Lord advancing on her with his lightsaber, he was hesitating. His hand tightly clutched the saber, and he actually took a step back from her, as if afraid. She had never seen him like this. In all the times she had faced him, imprisoned by him, tortured by him, she had never, ever seen an inch of fear in his body language. Now every muscle—and prosthetic—screamed it.

They stood there, staring at each other. Her waiting for him to kill her. What was he waiting for? For her to run? To miraculously pull out a weapon so that if he attacked, she would have something to defend herself with? For Luke to come out to distract Vader and avoid this entire dilemma?

“Apprentice!” the Emperor barked, “Attack her! Now!”

“Father! Don’t do it!” Luke called, “I sense the conflict in you, it is stronger than ever! You won’t do this, there is good in you! Let go of your hate!”

Luke wasn’t going to be enough. To make Vader turn, there had to be more.

“There is no turning from the Dark Side, boy,” the Emperor spat. “He has no choice. Vader! Kill her! Now!”

“No,” Leia suddenly said, finding her voice. Her command echoed in the room, focusing all attention on her. She swallowed, but did not waver, eyes on Vader. “We always have a choice.” She took a step forward, a step forward towards the one who had haunted her nightmares, who had plagued her life, who in this very moment was instructed to kill her. “The choices we make, the actions we take, are our own.”

She approached Vader in fast paces, walking directly into the darkness to reach him. He took a few steps back but Leia did not stop, not until she was right in front of him, perfectly within his reach if he did decide to kill her. All it would take was a swing of his saber. She lifted her chin, having to look up his huge form to see his eye shields. The red lightsaber hummed between them.

“You do not want to kill us,” she said, and she knew it was the truth. Everything he was doing pointed to it, and she could feel it in him. “You are doing all this because of your Master. But you don’t have to obey him—that’s your choice. Are you going to do what he wants, or what you want?” She stared right into those eye shields. “Are you a slave?”

Nothing was said between them. She couldn’t see his eyes, couldn’t see his expression. He was still as a statue.

“Lord Vader,” the Emperor finally hissed into the silence. “You are my Apprentice. I have given you instructions. Kill her. Now.”

Vader didn’t do anything at first, and then he shifted his lightsaber to the side. Leia didn’t budge, didn’t even flinch, though she guessed that was what Vader wanted. He wanted to scare her and make her run from him, so she would be safe. So he could say that she had escaped and that he couldn’t have killed her, rather than he had made the choice not to.

“I’m not leaving you,” Leia said. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then, she let go of her own hate. All her rage at him, she released. The imprisonment and torture, what he had done to Han, his crimes from within the Empire, she let it go. It still hurt, and it always would, but she didn’t let it control her anymore. She opened her eyes yet again and refocused on Vader.

“I forgive you.”

Vader’s breath hitched again, like it had when Luke told him that Leia was his daughter. He lifted his free hand, holding it protectively to his chest as if he feared it would be burned. But then he reached out and cupped Leia’s face in his palm.

Leia stared at him, wondering if her determination and truth were getting through. She normally hated anyone but those especially close to her getting into her personal space like this. Vader certainly was the last person she wanted to do so. A piece of her, a rather large piece, wanted to scream at him and slap his hand away. But she sensed, through the Force, his true awe in this moment. She knew how much this meant to him.

She allowed herself to melt, and she leaned into the hand, closing her eyes and lifting her own to put it over his, holding it there. And she felt from him…happiness.

“Apprentice.”

That voice was far closer than before. Leia pulled out of the hand instinctively to turn around, finding the Emperor standing just a few feet away. He had come down the stairs, and he looked furious. His white hands were clenched at his sides, the long sleeves of his robe spread out like wings, suddenly making him look as big and as menacing as Vader. His stance was clearly threatening.

“This is the last time I will say it,” the Emperor spat. “Kill her.”

Leia looked back at Vader to see what he would do.

He didn’t hesitate. Vader stepped past Leia and placed himself directly between her and the Emperor. He waved her back with one hand, before both of his hands came to grip his lightsaber and lift its point towards the Emperor.

“No.”

The Emperor snarled. “Do you think you can defeat me, Old Friend?”

The sound of a second lightsaber igniting cut through the tension, bringing green light to the darkness. Luke stepped out and came to Vader’s side. “We can.”

The Emperor’s yellow eyes narrowed into slits. A hilt slipped out of his sleeve into his withered old hands, comfortably clutched in his grip. “So be it.”

Chapter Text

The lightsaber ignited in a blaze of red light as the Emperor flew at Vader, fast as a striking cobra. Vader blocked each of the wild strikes, while Luke moved on the Emperor’s other side to flank him. But even as Luke joined the attack, it didn’t seem to weaken the Emperor one bit. His saber was moving so quickly, it was like a lightning storm gone mad with each of his harsh strikes on Vader’s and Luke’s lightsabers.

Leia hurried back out of the way, the suddenly dark room bright with all the flashes of light. Her eyes stung from the endless blinding sparks. She looked side to side, wondering if there was anything she could do. She doubted she could find a weapon here, least of all a lightsaber, which would be the only thing effective in this fight. But she wanted to do anything she could to help.

Suddenly the Emperor slipped around Vader and charged straight at her. It was only Leia’s Force-instincts that made her duck in time, rolling to the side. The Emperor’s lightsaber sliced through one of the computers, sending a wave of sparks that burned Leia’s back as she scrambled away. She stared at the molten slash in the metal and realized how that had almost been her.

The Emperor whirled and sliced at her again, but this time Luke came between them, blocking the hit inches above her head. The blades were so close to Leia she could feel their heat and she hurried back. She had to get farther. The Emperor was trying to use her—if he killed her, Luke and Vader would be unbalanced. And they let their own guard down when they tried to protect Leia. She was a vulnerability; she had to get away, somehow.

Leia ran out from the darker area to the stairway. The Emperor was engaged with Vader, cackling as he backflipped over Vader’s shoulder and struck from behind. In an impressive move, Vader twirled the blade behind his back, over his shoulder, to block without looking. Leia wondered where he had learned that.

She shook her head and made a break for the elevator. But the button didn’t work and it wouldn’t open for her. She cursed, wishing she had a blaster or something. Couldn’t there be any weapon here for her? She jammed the elevator button repeatedly in frustration.

A warning thrummed through her whole body and Leia ducked just as the Emperor came at her from behind. His saber cut through the elevator’s panel—there was no way Leia was getting it open now. She rolled on the ground as he sliced at her again. As his blade was lifted from his wide arch, Leia braced her back against the floor and kicked with her legs as hard as she could. She hit the Emperor in the stomach, and he fell back against the elevator door, obviously not expecting such a move. But he corrected himself quickly, and then he smiled his yellow teeth at her.

“Impressive,” he grinned at her.

“I’m full of surprises,” Leia hissed. Luke jumped over her and attacked the Emperor, and Leia used the opportunity to retreat. She kept low, shuffling herself back from them.

Vader appeared at her side, helping her up. “You need to get out of here,” he said to her, gently lifting her by her arm.

“I’m trying,” she said to him.

Luke suddenly cried out as the Emperor’s lightsaber grazed his arm. Vader was there in an instant, leaving Leia and striking at the Emperor to protect Luke.

Leia turned her head side to side, looking for another exit in the room, an escape. The Red Guards had gone behind the elevator, but the Emperor was currently between her and that option. She saw the Emperor try to lunge for her again, but this time Vader got in his way and stopped him from getting close. Leia needed to get farther, and maybe if she got higher, she’d be able to see something new. She turned and climbed up the stairs, sounds of lightsabers clashing behind her. She hated to leave the two of them behind to this fight. She should help! It was her battle, too! But there were no weapons in this useless room!

When she reached the top step of the stairs, however, she froze. That light. The same one she had felt when she had come in, the one that called to her. She felt it now. Why did it call to her? Well, if it was going to help her, now was the time. Leia closed her eyes with a chilly exhale, opening her mind and searching for the light.

She felt the black hole of the Emperor, a well of darkness that consumed all light in shadows. She felt her brother, a beacon of sunshine and warmth, filled with determination and even happiness. Leia rolled her closed eyes. Even when fighting for his life, Luke was overjoyed to have turned his father back. Speaking of whom, she felt Vader, still dark around the edges, but in his center was an unconquerable sun of light that rivaled Luke’s own.

But the light Leia had felt when she had first come in. The one that beckoned to her. That one. Where was it? What was it? It felt like…a song.

Leia gasped and her eyes went wide open at that realization—her Crystal! It was here! It was one of the Crystals stolen by the Empire for the Death Star! It was here now, for her, and it was calling to her. Leia couldn’t help the smile of pure joy that came up on her face. She was practically giddy.

She took another deep breath and brought up her focus, narrowing her attention on the Crystal. Clearing her mind of everything but the dim light of the gem, she gave it her order;

“Come.”

And it did. But it wasn’t just a Crystal; it was a full lightsaber, hilt and all that came into her hand. Time froze as Leia stared down at it.

The room was suspended in deafening silence.

Luke, Vader, and the Emperor had all stopped fighting. They stared up at her, as she stood perched on top of the stairs, staring at the weapon in her hand. Luke and Vader’s lightsabers still hummed in their grips, but the Emperor’s…

Leia held the Emperor’s lightsaber.

“…Leia?” Luke said tentatively.

Leia didn’t even look up from the saber. For the first time since she had first entered this throne room, she knew more than anyone else here. She had never been more certain of anything than she was of this truth.

“This is mine,” she said simply, molding her fingers against the hilt as if it had been made for her. The Emperor’s lightsaber—no, hers—was as familiar as a home even though she’d never even seen it before. Warmth thrummed from the Crystal inside, all the way up her arm and through her whole body. Sweet relief from it, and the feeling that it had…missed her. It was happy she was here? How was this possible? How could a rock have so much feeling? How could Leia feel so happy to be with it as well?

But she also felt pain in it. Even through its joy, the Crystal was in agony. It had been through so much—so much hatred, so much abuse. It made Leia’s heart hurt just to feel the pain the Crystal wailed with.

“Pathetic girl,” the Emperor spat. “Return that to me at once.”

“No,” Leia said simply, unconcerned. “It’s mine.” She shifted her grip on it more firmly. “This is mine.” Definitely.

She was amazed at how it felt. It was almost like Luke, how close she instantly felt to this Crystal. In one moment, it had become a part of her life, a part of her. It was almost as important to her as Luke and Han. She had always thought of the lightsabers as merely weapons. But she understood it now. They were only for the Jedi because only the Jedi could have this bond with them. Only the exact Force-user the Crystals sought and waited for could complete them. Leia had found hers, even if it had been stolen and marred by the Emperor. It was hers.

Oh, and it had been marred. The Emperor had hurt it badly. But Leia held it in her hands and assured it, she was here. It was safe now.

There was a slight tug in it and Leia looked up. The Emperor was trying to pull it back to him. But the Crystal refused to come—no, it wasn’t leaving her, it wasn’t letting her go. And she wasn’t leaving it either.

I am here, I am with you, you are not alone, you are mine.

And the Crystal’s pain vanished.

She ignited the blade in a blinding white flash and dived down the stairway at the Emperor. He leapt to dodge her as she swung it at him. She merely sliced air, but the blade moved with her perfectly. She felt the Force comfortably guiding her movements, flowing through her. Techniques and moves she didn’t know suddenly seemed like second nature. True, she had no training with the saber, and was nowhere near the level of the Emperor, Vader, or Luke. But she was no longer defenseless against them.

She turned to face the Emperor, who stood warily now at the foot of the stairs. The white lightsaber hummed pleasantly in her hands, almost a purr. Vader and Luke stood at her side, both staring at her before turning their attention back to their foe.

The Emperor roared with fury and released lightning from his fingertips. Leia lifted the white lightsaber in front of her, blocking the purple bolts as they attempted to grab her in an electric grip. Vader and Luke did the same at her sides. She moved forward, advancing step by step. The three of them began narrowing in on the Emperor.

“Vader!” the Emperor suddenly shouted. “Do you truly think you can survive in the Light? It is weakness! How will you be able to protect your children from the perils of the Galaxy without the power of the Dark Side, without my help, without the might of the Empire? Will anyone ever accept you after all you have done?”

“We accept him,” Luke shot back.

“And we will protect each other,” Leia added, “No matter what we have to face, we will be together.”

They had almost reached him now. The lightning thundered wildly, fighting against the energy blades, against the Crystals, but unable to get through, unable to protect the Emperor.

“APPRENTICE!” The Emperor screeched.

Vader reached him first. “You should have never threatened my children,” he said lightly. He lifted his lightsaber above his head. “They are mine.”

And then he struck him down, the Emperor’s screams abruptly cut off along with the roar of the lightning.

For a small eternity, none of them moved. There was complete silence. They stared at the body, lightsabers ready, as if expecting the Emperor to get up and keep fighting, somehow. But he didn’t. He was truly dead.

Luke deactivated his lightsaber first. In a blur of movement, he ran at Vader, ducked under his red lightsaber and caught him in a tight embrace. “I knew there was light in you!” Luke cried.

Vader seemed completely shocked by the gesture. Leia wondered when the last person had willingly, nonaggressively, touched Darth Vader, much less hugged him. Vader immediately deactivated his own lightsaber to keep it from accidentally hurting Luke. The other arm wrapped around Luke and clutched him tightly. “You knew it when I did not, my son,” Vader said softly.

Leia deactivated her lightsaber and took a second to stare at it. The Emperor’s own lightsaber belonged to her. Luke had been right; the Force finds a way. She glanced up at the body of the Emperor; she supposed he had been right, too. The Force was full of surprises.

She hooked it onto her belt but found she couldn’t take her hand off it for another minute. The Crystal was so happy to have her close; she didn’t want to let it go.

“You came back,” Luke whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.

Vader’s arm tightened around him. “Only because of the two of you.”

Luke drew away, still holding Vader’s huge hands with his own. Luke was smiling, and there were tiny glistening tears on the edge of his eyes. Vader withdrew a black leather hand from Luke’s to brush one away.

Vader turned his mask to look at Leia. She was smiling at the sight, happy that Luke had gotten what he had wanted so badly. And she was happy for Vader, too.

“H—” Vader began, but then his voice broke and he tried again. “How?”

Leia tilted her head. “How did I forgive you?” Vader nodded. She thought for a moment. “I let go of my hate, same as you did,” she said. She looked down at her own hands. “I didn’t realize how I had been holding on to it for so long. I thought I was controlling my feelings, but I was bottling up some parts of them that I should have released long ago. As for you…” she looked up “I merely gave you a choice.” She tilted her head with a sad smile. “The first real one you’ve had for a while, I’d imagine.”

Leia had had a right to her anger. After everything she had been through, she certainly had been entitled to her bitterness and resentment. But she had been holding onto it for beyond what she needed to. It was still a part of her, she was still mad about some things…but she knew how to handle it now. She knew that it had been controlling her too greatly.

By all means, Vader deserved all her hatred and none of her forgiveness. But when she looked at the hope both in her brother and now in Vader himself, she found her anger draining away with…well, maybe not quite love yet, but something that could become love. Caring. Selflessness.

“Thank you,” Vader whispered.

Luke gave Vader another quick squeezing hug before he turned back to Leia. “So that’s your Crystal?” he asked, gesturing to the lightsaber on her belt. “How did you know?”

She tilted her head down at it thoughtfully. “I didn’t. It just…called to me. So I called back.”

“The Emperor’s lightsaber,” Luke chuckled. “You always do things in the extreme, Leia.”

Leia glanced over Luke’s shoulder at Vader. “Family trait.”

Suddenly there was an explosion outside and the whole room shook.

“The Rebel Alliance!” Luke blurted.

“We have to save them!” Leia cried.

“And destroy this monstrosity,” Vader agreed with a growl. He swept past them towards the elevator. “Come! Follow me!”

Both Leia and Luke obediently followed at his heels as he used the Force to tear the broken door open. He stepped inside and they joined him. Vader typed in some kind of code and the elevator, thankfully still working even with a broken door, began to descend.

“We have to contact Han,” Leia said, fear in her voice. “He wasn’t expecting as big a force as the Emperor sent. We have to make sure he’s all right—”

“We will,” Luke assured. “He’ll be fine, Leia. Han’s smart.”

“The troops were supposed to capture the officers of the Alliance if possible,” Vader added. Of course, the Empire liked to have examples to show off later. Vader drew his communicator out of his belt. “I can call the commander on the moon with this.”

He activated it, but there was nothing but silence on the other end. “This is Lord Vader; respond now.” Nothing. Vader growled.

“Give it to me,” Leia held out her hand. “I know Han’s frequency.”

Vader handed it over immediately. She typed in the code and waited. Only she was supposed to have access to this particular frequency for Han—he should have it on him at all times, and know immediately that this was her. It was perhaps the longest few seconds of her life.

“Oh hey, Your Worship, nice of you to call.”

“Han,” Leia breathed, relief, sadness, pure elation, and a mess of other emotions pouring out of her mouth along with that one name. He was alive, he was gloriously alive. But she brought herself back into focus. Her next words came out in a rush. “You need to retreat right now, you have to stop the mission, it’s a trap, one of the Emperor’s best legions is there, you need to run.”

“Run?” Han repeated. “Huh. That’s a shame; we just won the place.” Leia could hear the teasing in his tone but didn’t understand.

“What?” There was no way their small force had defeated that many soldiers.

“Yep,” Han said, with a pop on the ‘p.’ “Your fluffy little friends helped us out. Although how some little guys like them defeated that many soldiers is a mystery to me.”

Luke snickered.

“You won?” Leia repeated, aghast.

“Hey,” Han’s tone taking offense. “Where’s the vote of confidence, Your Worshipfulness? I of all people know the uses of furry friends. I suppose their help makes up for the fact that they tried to eat me.”

“The shield is down?” Leia asked. Taking the base and shutting off the shield were almost one and the same, but she had to make sure. She couldn’t believe it—and she had just redeemed Darth Vader! If that wasn’t unbelievable, what was?

“Down like the Millennium Falcon on a bad day,” Han said pleasantly. “Now all I have to do is sit back, relax, and keep the Ewoks from eating most of the stormtroopers.”

Leia couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing. Oh, it and it felt so good. Luke smiled at her and Leia didn’t even want to know what Vader’s face looked like under that helmet. Now it made sense why Vader’s commander hadn’t answered.

“So, are you finally going to tell me where you and the Kid ran off to?” Han asked when she was done.

Leia grinned. “Oh, we convinced Darth Vader to come to our side and then we killed the Emperor. And I took his lightsaber!”

There was a very long pause before Han spoke. “Huh. Neat.” Another pause. “So where are you now?”

“The Death Star,” Leia said casually.

“…Um, Leia? The same Death Star whose shields I just turned off, and the Alliance is desperately trying to destroy?”

Leia looked up at Vader and Luke. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Han’s voice lost all its humor. “You better get off that thing right now, Leia.”

“On it,” Leia nodded. “We’re off like the Falcon on a good day.”

“I love you.”

She grinned. Few things made Han happier than analogies to his ship. “I know. See you soon, Han.”

 She shut the com off and handed it back to Vader.

“Captain Solo seems unaffected by his time in carbonite,” Vader commented as he took it. He hesitated a moment, then added, “I’m grateful.” He fiddled with the com in his hands. “And I’m sorry.”

Leia gave him a genuine smile. “I already said I forgive you,” she pointed out, “but I appreciate it all the same.”

The elevator door opened and Vader hurriedly led them back through the Death Star’s corridors.

“So we’re taking your shuttle out of here?” Luke asked as they walked.

Vader nodded. “I will contact my cruiser and tell them and the rest of the Imperials to surrender. We can go there and begin negotiations with the Alliance.” He clicked one of his com’s instant frequencies. This time, the response was immediate.

“Lord Vader,” a formal yet slightly flustered-sounding voice answered, “the shield is down and we’re taking heavy fire, what are your or—”

“Surrender now, Admiral Piett,” Vader instructed. “The Rebels have won. Cease all hostilities. I will be coming aboard the Executer shortly.”

There was a small pause, before ‘Admiral Piett’ responded smoothly. “Understood, Lord Vader. It will be done.” He cut out. Leia had to admit that was a surprisingly calm response to such a drastic and unexplained order. She wondered what sort of chaos Admiral Piett dealt with as the admiral of Lord Vader’s flagship.

The Death Star rumbled and the ground shook beneath them. The three of them paused briefly to keep standing. Vader placed a hand on the wall to keep balance and looked up. “It seems your friends are doing fairly well in their attack.”

“Just not too well, I hope,” Leia said worriedly. “I’d like to get out of here.”

“Let’s keep moving,” Luke agreed, and they continued on their path, rushing to get to the hanger. Imperials were running every which way, but they paid the three of them no mind, too panicked with what was happening to the Death Star. Tremors became more and more frequent.

Suddenly they came across a blockage; the corridor had caved in, a mess of metal and wires that spat sparks kept them from passing. Leia couldn’t even see the other side of the corridor.

“Is there another way?” Luke asked.

“No,” Vader said, “we will have to move it with the Force.” He lifted his hand. “Both of you; with me.”

Leia and Luke lifted their hands beside him. Leia had never used the Force like this before, not in telekinesis. But she was determined to try. She lifted her other hand to rest on her lightsaber; the weapon wasn’t just for fighting. It was for communicating with the Force in general. And it helped her feel it.

She glanced at her father and her brother. They were going to escape—together. She hadn’t thought she would leave this place alive, much less with Darth Vader in tow. She had done what she had desired for years; she had taken down the Empire, killed the Emperor, avenged her planet, and Vader…well, Vader was joining her, which was the opposite of what she had wanted to happen, but she liked this outcome even better. If she were to die now, she would die satisfied. But she wanted to live; for in the future, she saw a life worth living.

The metal before them creaked and shuddered, lifting itself out of the way. Leia offered what inexperienced help she could as the passageway cleared. Light from the other end came through.

“That’s enough,” Vader barked, dropping his hand. “We need to move.” The Death Star was rumbling nonstop now. They reached the hanger and Vader dropped the ramp of his shuttle with a flick of the Force. He stopped to let them go ahead and ushered them in. Leia stepped out of the way, knowing both Luke and Vader were better pilots than her. As natural as anything, they fell into the pilots’ chairs, Luke copiloting at his father’s side. Leia didn’t miss his smile as he worked the controls.

The shuttled lifted off, leaving the Death Star behind at full speed. Leia looked out one of the windows to watch it get smaller and smaller behind them. And then, finally, the second Death Star crumpled and exploded. The shuttle shook with the shockwave of the explosion, but Luke and Vader were good enough pilots to avoid the debris.

Leia slumped down in her seat. They were safe. As Vader turned the ship to head for the Executor, she stretched her limbs and sighed. It was over.

Chapter Text

Leia was in her office in Hosnian Prime. The sun was almost set, but the city was still buzzing with life and activity. Thousands of ships zipped by her window, millions of beings going about their business. Thankfully the soundproof office kept out the annoy sounds of said ships. Leia had trouble focusing with such noise, and she wanted to finish reading this boring and unimportant legislation proposal before going home tonight. Her father and brother were returning from their trip today.

Someone knocked at the door to her office. Leia looked up, surprised. Was that Luke and Anakin? It was early, and most of the time they were late.

Whoever they were, they let themselves in before Leia could get up and do so herself. The door creaked open and a short figure with messy black hair poked his head in. “Mom?”

Leia smiled. “Hello, Ben. What are you doing here?”

Ben, now six, smiled and ran around her desk. Leia was in the process of getting up when he jumped into her lap. She oofed. Ben was growing so fast, how had he gotten bigger from when Leia had seen him this morning? Or perhaps she was getting even smaller… “You’re getting too big for this,” she warned as he settled himself on her knees.

“Never,” he said with a determined shake of his head.

Leia smiled and brushed a hand through his black hair, trying to give it some order. “One day,” she said wistfully. One day he would stop doing this…she would be both glad for the relief on her knees, and sad that he was growing up even more.

But not today.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Leia pointed out. “What are you doing here? I’m supposed to head home in just another few minutes.”

“Dad and Uncle Chewie brought me,” Ben said cheerfully. “I snuck ahead. They wanted to make sure you didn’t ‘lose track of time’ at the office again.” He gave her a stern look as if she were the misbehaving child.

Leia laughed. “I wouldn’t miss dinner with your grandfather and Uncle Luke!”

Ben’s eyes lit up as he was reminded who was coming home tonight, as if he could forget for even one standard minute. “What time will they be back?”

Leia glanced at the clock. “Any minute now.” Though of course, they would be late.

Ben’s head rounded on the door as if he expected them to walk right through. When they didn’t, he pouted and turned back to her. “They’re late.”

“As usual,” Leia gave him a sorry smile. He huffed, blowing a tuff of thick hair out of his face.

“I want them to tell me all their adventures,” Ben informed her. “Where did they go this time?”

“The Unknown Regions again,” Leia answered, picking up the legislation before tossing it back on her desk. Nobody cared about it anyway. "Mitth’raw’nuruodo is helping our trade negotiations with the Chiss Ascendency.”

The once-Imperial Grand Admiral had appeared out of the Unknown Region about a year after the establishment of the New Republic to find that the Empire he had supported was in ruins. At first, he had rounded up its remains and originally planned to take back the Galaxy, before Leia had been sent to negotiate, with Luke and Anakin. Thanks to her persuasion, and a little of Anakin’s help (he had apparently known Thrawn long ago), the Chiss had decided to ally with them rather than attack. Now he was a Chiss ambassador to the rest of the Galaxy, and close friend to all of them. (Leia, Luke, and Anakin had once held Thrawn up for hours to force him to judge which of them could learn to pronounce his full Chiss name correctly first. Han hadn’t even tried, but made bets of who would win—and his wager had been correct. Leia was still proud that she had claimed victory).

“It’s very hard to fly ships in that area of space; your father and uncle are some of the few who can.”

“I could do it, too!” Ben insisted. “Can I go with them next time?”

Leia brushed her hands through his hair again. “Maybe someday;” she gave him a stern look. “But not for a few years.”

Ben pouted. “I want to go on adventures with them and Aunt Ahsoka.” His expression turned thoughtful. “When’s the next time she and Ezra can visit?”

“I don’t know,” Leia answered honestly. “Hopefully soon.” She and Luke had been astounded to learn of Vader’s old Jedi apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. The Togruta female had been jubilant when she learned that Darth Vader had turned back to the Light (and she had also screamed at him for a few hours, but in the end they made up and hugged). She visited them often, but not as much as she would like to. She preferred to search the Galaxy for Force-sensitive younglings, a difficult job which took up much of her focus.

 Ben’s attention refocused onto Leia’s hip. He reached for the lightsaber there, but Leia grabbed his hand, stopping him. “Now Ben,” she said warningly, “You know you can’t play with that.”

“I know,” he whined, withdrawing his hand. “I just wanted to look at it.”

“Sorry, no can do,” Leia shook her head. The heart-stopping memory of the first time Ben ‘looked’ at a lightsaber, lining his eye up right where the blade came out, flashed before her eyes. Nope, wasn’t happening again. Leia rarely ever used her lightsaber, and even then, it was only when she trained with it. She had modified its design since reclaiming it from Palpatine. But she kept it on her almost always, feeling the Crystal’s happy hum and the way it sung the Force to her.

They were interrupted by Leia’s door opening yet again. But it wasn’t Anakin and Luke like Ben hoped.

Han’s face showed relief when he saw Ben on Leia’s lap. “There you are, Ben.” He walked in, Chewie behind him. The Wookie had to duck his head to get through the door. “You had me worried there, kid. Don’t run off like that, especially not in a big place like this.”

“I knew where Mom was,” Ben pointed out proudly. He crossed his arms and lifted his chin. “I didn’t get lost.”

Han gave a playful grin. “Yeah, but without you, I might have.”

Ben considered that for a moment before nodding slowly like a wise sage. Chewie chuffed in amusement. Ben hopped off Leia’s already-asleep legs and ran over to the Wookie. He tried to tackle the furry giant in a hug (which had little effect) and Chewie lifted the little boy into his strong shaggy arms.

Leia stood up and walked around the desk into the arms of her husband. “Came to watch me when you couldn’t watch our son?”

“He’s sneaky!” Han defended, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

“Yes I am,” Ben said haughtily.

“See! He agrees with me!”

Leia rolled her eyes. “Just like how you lost track of those stormtroopers on Endor.”

“We’re not sure the Ewoks—” Han glanced at Ben “—got them. Quite a few troopers disappeared. Maybe they escaped and they’re still loose on the galaxy, doing nasty things.”

“Or maybe the Ewoks have you to thank for dinner,” Leia said dryly.

Ben tilted his head in Chewie’s arms. “Why would the Ewoks owe Dad dinner?”

They were saved from having to answer when the office door opened a third time, this time Anakin and Luke coming in. Luke hadn’t changed much in the past few years, but Darth Vader was unrecognizable. He wore a brown cloak that blended into a scarf around his neck, which hid the little mechanics still necessary to help him breath—though without nearly as much sound as before. His head, now free and visible, was pale grey, with a few old scars littered through it. His eyes were light blue, and were filled with joy, especially as Ben struggled free of Chewie’s arms and ran to hug him.

“Grandfather!” Ben cried. Anakin swooped Ben up in his arms and lifted him high, laughing with joy before clutching him close. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too, little one,” Anakin said.

“I’m right here, too, you know,” Luke spoke up beside them.

“I’ll hug you later, Uncle Luke,” Ben’s muffled voice came from Anakin’s shoulder.

Luke huffed, insulted but smiling. “Father always gets hugs first…”

Over Ben’s shoulder, Anakin shot Luke a playful and triumphant grin. After the Empire surrendered, Darth Vader suffered harsh rejection from the galaxy. Despite the fact that he had helped kill the Emperor, the public still called for his death. Leia had come up with a solution, however. She and Luke had discovered, while searching through medical records, that much of Vader’s armor was unnecessary. In fact, it appeared the Emperor had subtly sabotaged Vader by giving him especially painful, barely effective, and occasionally dysfunctional life support. It limited him. However, surgeries, especially recent ones over the last two decades, could fix the damage. And so, after weeks of stressful medical procedures, Vader was freed from the armor for good. And as no one knew what Vader looked like beneath the mask, Leia and Luke spun up the lie that the Sith Lord had died of a heart attack or some other issue. Then, they had announced that Jedi Hero Anakin Skywalker had miraculously survived Order 66, being imprisoned in secret by the Emperor for the past two decades and that they had rescued him. Who wasn’t overjoyed to see the ‘Hero with No Fear’ return? It wasn’t even a total lie. Darth Vader, as the Galaxy had known him, was gone.

Anakin and Luke traveled the Galaxy together, completing the hardest missions the New Republic needed done while helping any Force-sensitives they came across. But of course, they spent a lot of time in the Core, with Leia and her family.

“Now, Ben,” Han said in his lecturing voice as Ben still embraced Anakin. “We don’t play favorites.”

“Grandfather’s my favorite,” Ben said immediately.

Luke gasped and put a hand over his heart in mock offense and hurt. He then stuck his nose up in the air. “Well I guess you won’t hear the story of what we did this time.”

That got Ben’s attention. His head shot right up from Anakin’s shoulders and he reached for Luke. Anakin reluctantly placed Ben in Luke’s arms, who took the child with pretend disinterest. “I love you, Uncle Luke,” Ben said to him eagerly. “You’re my favorite Uncle, ever.” Chewie looked insulted on the other side of the room. “All the Uncles in the Galaxy are nothing compared to you. I love you more than Dad.”

“Hey!” Han barked. Leia leaned her head against her husband and smiled. They had raised a savage child.

Luke narrowed his eyes at Ben, considering him, before hugging him, still with that stern expression. “I suppose that’s adequate.”

“Now tell me a story!” Ben demanded, pulling away from the hug.

Anakin laughed again, and Leia saw how overjoyed he was in his eyes. The once-Sith wrapped a large arm around Luke’s shoulders. Luke’s expression broke into a fond smile for his father before putting on an overdramatic look for Ben. “This time…we found a Dark Sider.”

Ben gasped and put his hands over his mouth. Leia stiffened in Han’s arms. Han felt it and wrapped his fingers around hers, and she relaxed a bit.

“Who was he?” Ben whispered, awestruck.

“He called himself Snoke,” Luke went on. “And he was uuuuuuuuuu-GLEE!”

Ben giggled. “I bet I could’ve taken him!”

“Sorry, beat you to it,” Luke said unapologetically, shaking his head.

“Your Uncle and I handled him,” Anakin said, cupping Ben’s chin. “He won’t be bothering anyone ever again.” Ben looked slightly put out by that assurance.

“We scared poor Firmus half to death, though, with the wild fight Snoke put up,” Luke offered. “Snoke attacked our very ship!”

Anakin scoffed. “Admiral Piett should know my capabilities by now. He figured out my…old connectionin minutes, after all.” Barely anyone outside of this room knew about Anakin’s past, but they all knew Firmus had figured it out, even if he didn’t say anything.

“Your capabilities, sure,” Luke granted, “but our ship almost blew up.”

Anakin waved his hand carelessly as if that happened all the time.

Leia sighed, heart going out to the friendly but very stressed once-Imperial. “I don’t know why that poor man doesn’t retire.”

Ben, not understanding or caring about this conversation, tugged on Luke’s robes. “Where are you going next? Can I come this time?”

Anakin barked a laugh. “Nothing too exciting next time,” Anakin gave his grandson a sympathetic look. “Just checking an outpost on Jakku, a planet on the edge of the galaxy. But that trip’s not for a while.”

“Maybe we’ll find some Force-sensitives there,” Luke suggested brightly.

“New friends!” Ben proclaimed excitedly. “Will you bring them back to meet me?”

“Of course!” Luke lifted a hand to ruffle Ben’s hair. “Who wouldn’t want to meet you?”

“Exactly!” Ben agreed eagerly. But then a loud growl came from his stomach. Ben looked down at it, then back up at Luke. “I’m hungry. Let’s go home and eat.”

Luke laughed. “That was a fast loss of interest.” But he turned and walked through the door, Ben still in his arms. “So, now that I’m your favorite uncle—”

“Actually, Uncle Lando’s my favorite Uncle.”

“WHAT!”

Leia chuckled and shook her head as they left. Chewie ducked his head to follow, and Han was right behind him. She paused in joining when she saw Anakin move to look out the window. It was a spectacular view of Hosnian Prime, especially with the orange sunset colors dazzling the cities with playful light. It was nothing like her old beloved view of Alderaan, but beautiful nonetheless. She wondered if it reminded Anakin of his home.

“Are you all right, Father?” Leia asked, coming up behind him. She took his hand in hers and met his pale blue eyes.

He smiled at her. “I am simply amazed,” he whispered. He turned his gaze back at the door, where the others had left. “I do not deserve any of this.”

Leia smiled. “Maybe not,” she admitted, “But I love you anyway.”

Tears appeared at the corners of his eyes, as they always did when she said those words. It had taken her a long time to be able to say it. Years ago, she never would have imagined making Darth Vader cry, much less how she did it. She wiped one away from his pale, scared face and stepped back, pulling him with her. "Come on," she said. Then, with a sly smile, “I’m hungry, too.”

Before that, however, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She held him back and heard him murmur in her ear. “I love you,” he said, “I am so proud to call you my child. You are mine.”

She tightened her grip a little, burying her head into his shoulder. “And you are mine.”