Chapter Text
For Leia, tonight was a momentous occasion.
She was going to attend her first ever dinner party since coming to Coruscant. Her father had told her about the importance of such events—about how more politics got done through the connections made in Coruscant's high society than ever got done in the Imperial Senate.
But this wasn’t just an ordinary dinner party. This was being thrown by Lady Vader herself.
Lady Vader’s real name was Padmé Amidala, the esteemed former Queen and Senator of Naboo. But ever since her early retirement, her only authority within the Imperial court stemmed from her husband, so everybody called her “Lady Vader”. Leia could only imagine how much that must have rankled. An entire lifetime of political achievements and dedicated public service, all relegated to the sidelines. Now defined entirely in relation to her powerful husband.
But rumor was that she did indeed wield quite a bit of power over her husband—that it was she alone, besides the Emperor himself, who had Vader’s ear. (Metaphorically, at least. For all anyone knew, Lord Vader didn’t have any ears.) How else could she get the taciturn Dark Lord to attend these events in the first place?
Leia took in a deep, steadying breath as she pulled up the speeder, trying to get her nerves under control. Beside her, Amilyn was grinning. Not surprising, given her general attitude towards danger. And Darth Vader being in attendance would certainly mean danger.
They exited the speeder, which was promptly ferried away by a valet droid, and began to walk to the venue. Amilyn was dressed in a multi-colored, flowy gown that wasn’t at all fashionable. Some of the colors clashed horribly with her similarly multi-colored hair that she wore loose, coiffed into waves that hadn’t been in style for at least a century. Amilyn called it ‘vintage’, which had done little to mollify the cosmetic droid. Leia suspected that it was all an aggressive declaration of individuality.
There was something to be admired in such boldness. Leia, however, was grateful for her far less eye-catching white dress with gold accents. Her hair braided into an intricate but ultimately understated bun. She’d never been enthused by the finery foisted upon her by her attendant droid back on Alderaan, to the tune of several embarrassing tantrums when she’d been a small child. But she’d come to understand their necessity as she’d grown older. This fairly modest affair was a compromise that she could live with.
May the worst of her problems always be that her clothes were too fine for comfort.
The security was tight, even by Imperial standards. That was only to be expected, with Lady Vader representing such a tempting target for kidnappings and vengeance-fueled assasination attempts. There were full-body scanners set up at the entrance, and a contingent of elite, red-clad Imperial guards stationed at all potential points of entry. It only served to heighten Leia’s sense of impending doom.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” she muttered to Amilyn.
“That’s part of the fun,” Amilyn replied cheerfully.
Leia shot her friend a withering look as they were escorted to their assigned table.
Leia was surprised to see that there was a person sitting there already. And not just any person—Pooja Naberrie, the Senator from Naboo and, more importantly, Lady Vader’s niece. Being assigned to the same table as her was a sign of utmost esteem, and virtually guaranteed a personal visit from Lady Vader herself. Leia could feel the burn of envious and resentful glares being directed her way.
Leia had no idea what she’d done to warrant such an honor. Lady Vader had been friends with her father before the Empire, but that was a thing of the past. These days, they didn't associate with each other at all.
Pooja greeted them both with the utmost politeness, making idle smalltalk. Leia engaged automatically, but was too distracted by the butterflies in her stomach to pay much attention.
It didn’t take very long at all, by Leia’s reckoning. Though maybe that was just because she was so nervous that she’d lost track of time.
Lady Vader was an astoundingly beautiful woman, even with the signs of aging on her face. Leia may have even described her as poised, if not for the distinct scent of strong alcohol that wafted from her like perfume. It took a great effort for Leia not to wrinkle her nose at the offensive smell. It turned out that the rumors about Lady Vader’s “problem” might actually have some truth to them.
“Princess Leia,” she said, smiling as she pulled out a seat to sit down beside her. “And Apprentice Holdo. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both.” Her gaze passed briefly to her niece, who she must have already greeted earlier. Abruptly, Pooja stood, grabbing a passing male politician by the arm.
“The pleasure’s all mine, my lady,” Leia said. Suddenly, she had the strangest feeling that she’d met Lady Vader before. But that couldn't be possible, could it?
“And mine,” said Amilyn, cool as could be.
Lady Vader leaned in closer to Leia, the smell of alcohol becoming even more pronounced. “I heard about your efforts on Wobani.”
Leia tensed. Her first humanitarian mission after her Day of Demand ritual had been to Wobani, an agricultural world that had been thrown into crisis by the cronyism of the Emperor. When she’d arrived and seen the extent of the suffering there, she’d become determined to rescue as many people as she could. But Imperial protocol had not allowed her to take refugees off-planet. As such, she’d pulled off what she’d thought was a very clever trick: ‘hiring’ as many Wobani as she could to be staff on her ship.
It had worked, but the resulting humiliation to the Empire had meant her father’s negotiations on behalf of the Wobani had stalled. A revolt had broken out not long after, which had been put down with the Empire’s usual restraint. Which was to say, none at all.
“I imagine you were made to feel quite guilty about what you did,” Lady Vader continued. “But I don’t think your actions affected the outcome, in the end. A revolt was inevitable, and all part of our dear Emperor’s design. Bail’s efforts were never going to succeed.”
Leia stared at her, completely at a loss for words. This was bordering on treason.
“You should be proud of what you did that day,” Lady Vader continued. “You displayed both cunning and compassion, when so many in your position have neither. We must all learn to pick our battles, of course, but this was one you chose well.”
“Th-thank you,” Leia forced herself to say. “You’re too kind.”
Lady Vader smiled sardonically. “Not kind, my dear. Not for a very long time, now.” Something passed over her face. Something that Leia couldn’t quite name. “Ah. My husband is fashionably late as usual. He’s not one for socializing, you see; I have to twist his arm to get him to come.” How one might ‘twist the arm’ of the Emperor’s most vicious enforcer was anyone’s guess. “If you’ll excuse me…”
Lady Vader got her feet with a slight but noticeable wobble.
That was when Leia felt it: a familiar shiver, running up her spine.
This wasn’t Leia’s first time seeing Lord Vader. That had been years ago, through a window on the mining planet of Mapuzo. She’d thought that perhaps being older would diminish the impact of his appearance, but it didn’t. His black uniform, black cape, black gloves, and long black mask made him seem to be something other than an organic being.
All in all, his presence at what was supposed to be an entertaining evening was rather alarming, despite everyone knowing in advance that he was going to attend. The tension had ratcheted up considerably the moment he’d entered the hall.
Leia still wasn’t old enough to drink alcohol. She wondered if doing so would help her mounting sense of dread at all. Probably not, judging by the other inebriated but still very terrified attendees.
The only one who seemed to actually be enjoying the party anymore, in fact, was Lady Vader herself. She flitted from table to table, schmoozing with various extremely important people.
It was almost like she was enjoying the show.
Lord Vader had so far been lurking ominously by the open bar, but now he started moving to Leia’s table. Leia’s heart began to pound in her chest. But, as was always the case when she got very frightened, the surge of adrenaline made her resolve even stronger.
“Princess Leia,” Vader said, in his deep, modulated voice. “It is a relief to see that you are well, after that mishap with the Third Sister.” He didn’t so much as glance at Amilyn.
“I personally wouldn’t call kidnapping and wrongful interrogation a ‘mishap’, Lord Vader.”
“Was it truly ‘wrongful’, Your Highness?”
Leia glared defiantly up at the black visor covering his eyes—assuming that he had eyes. “Yes, my lord—it was.”
Vader didn’t say anything more in response, just looking at her intensely. Leia was certain of it, despite his mask. Leia was now too old to ask if this was meant to be a staring contest, but it certainly felt like one.
“Lord Vader,” Pooja said, breaking the tension somewhat as she swooped in from the side. “How nice to see you.”
The words did not sound especially sincere.
“A pleasure as always,” Vader replied. The voice modulation made his own sincerity a lot more difficult to pin down. “Is your mother well?”
“Very well,” Pooja said, with a Senator’s smile. “She eagerly awaits your next visit with Auntie.”
“Unfortunately, my duties are quite demanding. But perhaps I shall find the time. Lady Vader misses the lake country.”
Seeing Vader exchanging these pleasantries was bizarre, to say the least. But Leia supposed that even a Dark Lord of the Sith had to put up with in-laws.
Leia decided that enough was enough. She stood up and said, “Please give Lady Vader my thanks for the lovely evening. Amilyn and I have early lectures and must get some rest.”
Vader inclined his head, and said, “Perhaps we shall continue this conversation another time, Your Highness.”
Leia knew that worrying was pointless, so she put the whole encounter out of her mind.
Some days later, on her way to the Apprentice Legislature building, the engine of Leia’s speeder stalled. Luckily, the safety mechanisms kicked in, keeping her in a controlled descent. But her steering was also stuck, so she had no way to change the trajectory. She descended steadily past the upper and mid levels of the city before coming to a stop.
Leia had visited these lower levels before, but always dressed to blend in. Today, meanwhile, she was dressed to the standards of the Apprentice Legislature, and she could feel the eyes on her as she got out of the speeder to check under the hood.
The engine was completely fried, meaning that she’d have to get it replaced. She reached into her pocket for her comm to call for help, but it was missing. Had she seriously left it at her apartment?
“Hey there,” said a friendly baritone voice. “Looks like you could use a tow.”
She searched for the source of the voice to find a man who looked almost as out-of-place as she did. He appeared to be in his late thirties, with gray visible in his short, light brown hair. Despite his age, he was still quite handsome, and definitely seemed to take care of himself. She couldn’t see his eyes because they were hidden behind a rather goofy-looking black visor that hadn’t been in style for a very, very long time.
Leia smiled at him, rarely one to turn down help. “I would really appreciate that,” she said. “I can compensate you for your trouble.”
The man waved a dismissive hand. “As if I could stand by when a young girl is stranded in a rough neighborhood like this. I’ll take you to a good mechanic.” He grinned. “Just give me a hand hooking up the cables and repulser pads. My back is not what it used to be.”
“What’s your name?” the man asked, once they were airborne.
“Leia,” she said. “And yours?”
“Anakin.” There was a pause, as if he was waiting for a reaction.
Feeling oddly obliged, Leia said, “It’s a nice name.”
Anakin chuckled warmly. “Yours too.”
Leia couldn’t help but smile. His cheer was infectious.
“Can I ask you a question, Leia?”
“Sure,” she said.
He pointed to the black visor on his face. “Do you think I pull these off? My wife says they make me look ridiculous.”
They did make him look pretty ridiculous. When she was younger, she would’ve just said so. But if there was one thing she’d learned in the Apprentice Legislature, it was how to be more diplomatic. “They look…” she tried to find the right words. “...age-appropriate.”
“Oh man,” Anakin said, theatrically clutching his heart. “That was brutal, Leia.” A sigh. “Well, what did I expect? My wife is usually right about these things.” He removed the visor and stowed it away in the glove compartment, revealing bright blue eyes.
Without the visor, his handsomeness became much more pronounced.
Anakin winked at her. “Thank you for your honesty.“ He then pulled out a comm and said. “Hello, dearest.” Presumably, he was talking to his wife. “I’m bringing a guest over, so please don’t be alarmed.” He deactivated the comm before there could be any response. At Leia’s raised eyebrow, he said, “She can scold me all she wants later.”
“I thought you were taking me to a mechanic,” Leia said, starting to feel a bit uneasy.
“I am.” Anakin grinned at her. “After all, I’m the best mechanic on Coruscant.”
“You don’t look like a mechanic,” she told him.
He shrugged. “Looks can be deceiving, Leia. But I really am the best there is. I’ve been fixing things since before I could talk.”
She didn’t think he was lying, but the unease intensified nonetheless. “Actually, can you please just set me down? I can borrow your comm to call a towing service.”
Anakin’s grin softened into something more wistful. “It’s a little sad to see a girl your age with so little faith.” Another sigh. “I’m afraid I really must insist, since my wife will have made accommodations.”
They were coming up on a high-rise apartment complex in the Imperial Palace district. No wonder this man had looked out of place in the lower levels. He had to be somebody very important, to live in a place like this.
“Who are you really?” she asked him, not allowing her unease to bleed into her tone.
“What, you haven’t guessed yet?” He smirked. “Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t recognize my old name. It’s pretty much an open secret in the circles you run in. But I suppose even they know better than to cross me.” He winked at her again. “I did tell you we’d continue our conversation, Leia.”
Leia’s stomach plummeted to her feet. Anakin was actually Darth Vader?!
“I’m glad nobody told you,” Vader continued, wholly nonchalant. “Saves me a lot of trouble.”
Realization dawned. “You sabotaged my speeder,” she said.
“And confiscated your comm,” Vader confirmed. “But I’ll return it once I’ve replaced your engine.”
If she’d had any doubts as to his identity, this cleared them right up. She hadn’t found any evidence of tampering; Vader must have used his telekinetic abilities to do all of this remotely, without leaving any trace behind.
“Why go to all this trouble?” she asked him. “You could’ve just summoned me to meet you.” Especially if the face beneath the mask was meant to be a secret, open or otherwise.
“I have my reasons,” was the non-answer she received. He activated a shield from his speeder dashboard, and it shimmered to life all around them. Leia figured that it must be some kind of measure to hide both of them from the prying optics of surveillance droids. When one was this close to the Imperial Palace, they became extremely difficult to avoid.
The rest of the journey felt much longer than it was. At last, they touched down on a spacious outdoor landing platform, where several other high-end speeder models were also parked.
When Vader lowered the shield; Leia looked around for surveillance droids as she exited the speeder.
“There's no need to worry, Your Highness,” Vader said smoothly. “This is the most secure location on Coruscant, barring perhaps the Emperor’s private residence.”
Leia relaxed just slightly. Of course it was secure; as if Darth Vader would allow anyone to spy on him!
Vader said, “My wife and I haven’t had breakfast yet.” He gave Leia a half-smile. “We'd be honored if you'd join us.”
Leia hadn’t had breakfast yet, either; she always ate the first meal of the day in the Apprentice Legislature’s cafeteria. “The hospitality is much appreciated, Lord Vader.” The words were gracious, but came out a tad too sharply.
“This way,” Vader said, smile widening, before he led her to the apartment’s entrance.
The apartment’s interior was not at all what Leia was expecting. Elegant, but understated, and certainly not what anybody would call luxurious. Lady Vader was standing by a set dining table, looking exactly like a woman who had not yet started her day: her brown hair fell in loose curls over shoulders covered by a silken, cream-colored sleeping gown.
Still stunningly beautiful, but…vulnerable. She looked neither well-rested nor eager for the extra company, and Leia felt immediately awful for her.
“You couldn’t have warned me last night?” Lady Vader asked tightly.
“I hadn’t thought of it last night,” Vader said. “I apologize for the short notice, my love.”
Lady Vader let out an exhausted-sounding sigh. It was one that Leia found extremely familiar, having heard it from her own mother several times growing up, when Leia had pushed things just a little too far.
“Though,” Vader continued, “how I would’ve warned you to begin with while you were passed out on the couch is anyone’s guess.”
Lady Vader’s glare became more intense. “Do you really want to do this in front of our guest?”
Vader did a little eye-roll, as if to say: you’re the one who started it.
Being a captive audience to a marital argument between what were essentially two strangers should have been awkward and uncomfortable, but it was much too surreal for Leia to feel anything but a kind of numb astonishment.
Was this some kind of trick? Between Lady Vader’s comments about Wobani and this bizarre scene, Leia could easily conclude that Lady Vader was in on whatever the hell Lord Vader was doing here.
Except, no…that didn’t feel right. She had the strong sense that everything she’d just witnessed had been entirely spontaneous and sincere.
Lady Vader let out another sigh, and all of her anger seemed to drain away at once. She came around the table to take Leia gently by the shoulders. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Leia lied.
“Of course she’s fine,” Vader said. “I’ve been nothing but charming. Isn’t that right, Leia?”
“Leaving aside the sabotage and deception,” Leia said, “Lord Vader has been…affable.” Disturbingly so.
“Deception is a strong word. I haven’t told you a single lie.”
Thinking back, that was technically true. “So, just sabotage and abduction, then.”
Lady Vader released her shoulders. “I have no idea what my husband is thinking,” she said. “But I’m sure it will become obvious soon enough. Have you eaten breakfast yet, dear?”
“I haven’t,” Leia answered.
Lady Vader gave her what was probably meant to be a reassuring smile. “Then, let’s get some food in you while my husband decides to get to the point.”