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He could feel her anguish as if it was his own.
He hurt for her—-his dearest girl who would never do anything like this of her own volition.
She was straining on the rocky ledge above him, desperately trying not to extend her hand toward him.
But she did.
Inexorably, as she had every time before this.
He could see the tears on her cheeks, the disordered strands of brown hair sticking to them.
“NO!” she screamed, her voice reverberating in the cave around them—the gleaming obsidian illuminated by the lights of their captors, but also by the strange metal device beside the Princess.
It was a brighter silver than Piett had ever seen in his life. At least it appeared that way. And it glowed from within.
But this was no friendly light.
From the moment when they had both been dragged into its sickly gleam, Piett had known the situation was dire. His Princess had stiffened, and then sagged in the grip of the two men holding her, looking like she may vomit.
The leader had laughed triumphantly.
“It looks as though the legends are true,” he’d purred, gripping the Princess’s chin tightly in a gloved hand. “Let us test that theory.”
He had glanced to where Piett stood several feet away, hands trapped behind his back in binders. There was a dark pool below them where the occasional drip of water could be heard from the black stalactites far above.
“Throw him in,” the man with the cold eyes ordered, and Piett had found himself seized in a powerful though invisible grip.
It took him long horrified moments to realize it was his own Princess who was doing it.
Hand shaking, and face white as her Senatorial robes, she lifted him with the Force.
“No,” she stated, brown eyes wide with shock and fear. “No. I—-Admiral. It’s not me…I can’t... !”
Her fingers gestured easily and he had been flung down into the black water.
For a time he’d tried to kick to the surface, but without his hands it was an impossible task.
The pressure on his lungs had increased until he thought they really might explode and stars danced in his vision when suddenly he was hauled to the surface and the chill air of the cave met his face.
Two of the other men had him under the arms as he choked and gagged, still bobbing in the water, his uniform soaked and heavy.
Six feet above him stood the leader, hatchet face eagerly watching. And the Admiral had known in that moment—looking into that flat, blue gaze— that his ordeal was not over.
The Princess had wept, and begged, and sworn, but she could not break the hold the object had over her as she was forced to drown him again. And again. And again.
And Piett knew he would not last much longer.
**************
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry . Dearest Admiral…”
It was the fact that she could feel his love over their bond despite it all which really hurt her the most.
She could not tear her eyes from his face as he sank slowly below the water again, fighting even now, knowing he could not prevent what was happening. The water crept to his chin, then his mouth and then his head went under again even as Leia fought against the hold this Force damned object had on her.
“WHY?” she screamed at her captor. “Why are you doing this?”
He smiled at her thinly as though oblivious to the water churning below them where the Admiral struggled for his life.
“I have one of the most powerful Jedi left in the galaxy. And yet, this object controls your power. Controls it to the extent that you will kill someone so very dear to you because I told you to.”
He tapped the object with a gloved finger and Leia’s hand dropped once more to her side. The two men down on the water’s edge hauled Piett back to the surface. They had to pound his back this time to get him to breathe as her Admiral clearly had no strength left.
“Shall we put it to the ultimate test?” the man purred, watching her.
Please no. Force no.
“Kill him,” he ordered, and her hand rose again of its own accord.
“NO.” She strained and watched her own arm tremble as she fought to disobey. Piett slid slowly back into the water.
“NO! I’m sorry ! Please! Admiral!”
“Dearest girl,” he panted. “It’s not you. I know that.”
He was already up to his neck, and he raised weary but forgiving eyes to hers.
“I love you. It isn’t you.”
Their Force bond was warm with the truth of his words and Leia’s heart hurt in ways she’d not thought possible.
As the water closed over his head once again, she forced herself to face the object causing such suffering.
She could sense the Admiral’s life ebbing away. She could hear the splashing echo around the rocky chamber as he fought futiley in the water below.
No.
NO .
She loved this man like a father and they had been through too much together for him to be taken like this.
She knew the moment that Piett stopped breathing and slowly brought her other hand forward, sweat soaking her clothing from effort.
“What are you doing?” snapped her captor. “How is that possible?”
Piett’s heart stopped.
The man lunged for her.
Leia placed both hands on the object with only one thought in mind—
She must save the Admiral.
“STOP!” she commanded, and the object flew apart into shards. The man and his companions were similarly flung back to collide and crumple with the obsidian walls so hard that the sound of their bones cracking echoed around her.
But that didn’t matter to Leia. She leapt down the rocks to the water’s edge and used the last of her strength to bring Piett to the surface.
He broke the water’s hold, limp and lifeless, but Leia was not made to give up. A wave of her hand had his binders drop back into the water. Then she conveyed him gently to the stone shore and promptly got to work pumping his chest and bending over to blow air into his lungs.
Over and over.
She did not allow herself to believe that she might fail. He would breathe. He would .
So when Piett gave a great shudder and inhale, Leia refused to let relief weaken her bones. She turned him to his side to allow him to vomit the water he’d taken in, pounding his back as he did so to encourage it.
Then he collapsed weakly into her hold and Leia slumped against the rocky wall behind her, both of them shuddering in cold and reaction.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, aware that tears were rolling down her face once more. She stroked his wet hair, cradling his head in her arms and resting her cheek on top of the soaked brown curls. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”
His left hand came up, trembling with exertion, to pat her arm briefly.
“Not you,” he managed huskily. “What…did you…do?”
“I don’t know,” she answered, holding him tightly to her. “I’m not sure. I just…I wanted it to stop. I wanted you to
live
.”
Quite suddenly, she felt a familiar flare in the Force. Her relief was warm with Luke’s presence. And…her Father’s.
“Help is coming,” she told Piett.
In short order her brother was at her side.
“Leia. I could feel what you did… Wow. You really expended everything. Come on.”
“The Admiral…” she insisted and Luke nodded, inclining his head across her. “Veers and the others will take him,” he said, and she realized that Piett was being lifted away from her. Then Han was there. Han , holding her close and kissing her cold lips.
“Come on, Sweetheart,” he said gently. Between them, he and Luke helped her from the karking cave. She recognized the ship they were walking toward and raised her eyebrows.
“Father’s…ship?” she asked in weary surprise.
“We were with him, when we sensed you were in trouble,” Luke told her. “The Lady is on the way. And Matt has sworn he’s never taking another vacation again.”
She wanted to smile, but found she was too depleted.
She was wrapped in towels and given clothes to change into. Once she was in bed, her Father came into the small cabin with a hot mug of tea, and leaned against the bulkhead, watching her.
He’d sensed she wanted to speak with him then.
“You didn’t touch the Dark Side,” he told her abruptly, scarred face understanding. “Even when you destroyed that object. I did a very thorough check.”
She swallowed a little too quickly, and held his eyes pleadingly. “You’re…you’re certain?” she asked. She’d felt so very strongly…
“I think we can safely say I’m the foremost living expert on this,” he replied quietly. “No. And if you had, it would have had an effect on Piett given the bond between you. He has no darkness. You were…astonishing, my daughter. Let that be a lesson to those who believe the Dark Side holds the greater power. You acted from love. Your desire to protect. That object could not bear up under your wish to use the Force to preserve life rather than take it.”
He took her empty mug and patted her arm as he left.
And she was relieved to know that. But the fact remained—she had repeatedly hurt one of the dearest people in her life.
An hour or so later, General Veers came into her quarters where she lay unsuccessfully trying to sleep.
She flushed with shame at his presence.
What must he think? His dearest friend. The only family he had. And she’d tried to drown him over and over.
“I’m sorry—-” she started, but he held up a hand, grey eyes gentle.
“You don’t need to do that, Your Highness,” he interjected. “I know as well as Firmus that you would never hurt him of your own volition.”
“Perhaps not,” she said, needing to get these words out to someone, even as they burned her. “But I still hurt him. I cannot get around that.”
Veers tilted his head and folded his arms.
“You need to have this conversation—I know that,” he said. “But not with me. He’d like to see you.”
Tears threatened again.
“He should be resting.”
The General snorted. “Yes, well. So should you. But you two are both busy lying awake worrying about each other. So. I’m here to solve it. Can I help you to his quarters?”
Leia felt embarrassed once more.
“I’m…I’m afraid I used everything up, General. I can’t—”
“By your leave, Your Highness,” Veers said calmly. “Let’s keep this simple shall we? I’ll get you there. Here.”
He wrapped her in a thick, warm blanket and lifted her easily before Leia could protest, striding the short distance to Piett’s cabin.
The Admiral was in sweats though not his Imperial navy pair. He too was tucked in bed, but his eyebrows shot up as they entered.
“Max, for kark’s sake—-”
“I don’t mind,” Leia interrupted swiftly, loving this man fiercely. Only Piett would care about something like propriety and dignity in a situation like this. “The General is being helpful.”
“First time for everything I suppose,” Piett muttered, but Veers merely chuckled as he set Leia down beside the Admiral.
“I’ll excuse that comment on the basis of your addled mental state,” Veers said, placing a hand on Piett’s shoulder. “Now. She’s here. So are you. Talk.”
And with that, he stalked out, the door hissing behind him.
There was a long and awkward beat. Leia was simultaneously exactly where she wanted to be and wishing she was somewhere else.
“I know you are punishing yourself,” Piett murmured, voice still scratchy from his ordeal. His hair was more curly than Leia had ever seen it, and he was obviously drained, but there was color in his face and life in those hazel eyes.
She’d feared there never would be again.
“I’m sorry,” Leia said again in a very small voice, guilt threatening to crush her beneath the weight.
But then the Admiral’s arm was around her blanketed shoulders and she leaned into his chest immediately, that big heart thumping steadily under her ear.
“Not once did I hold you responsible,” he said, his lips touching the top of her head. “It was NOT you, dearest girl. And when the moment came—-I don’t know how you managed to overcome it, but you did. And you saved my life.”
“After nearly taking it,” Leia said into his sweatshirt.
He sighed.
“I realize that you will feel like this, Princess of mine. So I will be here to remind you, that you did not. Was it you who kidnapped us?”
She shook her head, warm in his embrace.
“You who found that damned object and used it?”
“No.”
“May I tell you what you did do?”
She smiled in spite of herself.
“You are biased, favorite Admiral. You will always look for the good in me.”
“And I will find it,” he returned promptly, running a hand over her arm. “It was you who refused the Dark Side. It was you who fought so hard that you destroyed the enemy. It was you who got me breathing again.”
“But I should have broken free of its hold earlier,” she said in low tones, voicing the thing that was causing her the most anguish. “Clearly I was able to.”
He rested his cheek on the top of her head. “I don’t understand the Force, my dear. But it seems that you had to reach that critical juncture. It was not a failing on your part. Far from it from what your Father has told me. He was very impressed that you overcame it.”
She was quiet, pondering this. She deeply appreciated his perspective and she could sense his sincerity and concern for her.
But—
“I…I am going to struggle with this, Admiral,” she told him, laying bare her weakness.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Normal that you would. And I will be at your disposal—because you saved me recall—whenever you are battling this wound.”
She wrapped both arms around him then, grateful to be with him.
Veers found them both asleep an hour later and went back to report to the others that healing had begun.