How to Take an Empire

Chapter Sixty-Six: Sins

Though the three children eventually calmed down, their somber moods remained. After forcing themselves through the pastry and eating on a few rations, they went back to bed. More than physical exhaustion, Vader got the distinct feeling they were emotionally drained.

All of them gave Ahsoka tight hugs and a kiss on her cheek. Luke and Leia followed suit with Vader before starting for their room. Winter hesitated, though. Finally, she made her way to Vader, gave him a quick hug, and said, "Thank you," before following Leia and Luke.

"Wow," Ahsoka muttered. "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing."

"You had to. She likes you."

"She's a child. She doesn't know any better," Vader said, standing and offering a hand to her to lead her back into the other bedroom.

"Maybe, but it usually takes her a long time to warm up to people. And when I say that, I don't mean she's untrusting like Leia. She's just very shy," Ahsoka explained as they sat against the back of the bed.

As she leaned to curl onto his chest, Vader said, "I can't imagine Bail Organa will be happy about that."

The shift in Ahsoka's mood was stark and sudden. Gone was the careful, even-keeled demeanor she'd been maintaining and brought to the forefront was the turmoil and conflict that Vader knew had been broiling in her since they left Tatooine. He knew from the long course of their relationship that forcing her to talk before she was ready only ever led to them fighting first. Tactless Vader may be most of the time, but he was sensitive enough to the surrounding situation not to push it before. His own turmoil had also effectively distracted him. Now...

Before Vader could press, Ahsoka revealed the reason for her reaction. Vader thought it would be having to break the news to the man that his wife had been killed.

It wasn't.

"I talked to Mon earlier. Before helping Winter make the birthday pastry. Bail hasn't checked in yet. That last thing we know was that he was on Imperial Center for the days leading up to Empire Day. He was supposed to go back to Alderaan for the celebrations. But he never showed, and no one can get in contact with him," she explained. "And Luke and Leia told me more about what happened on Alderaan. They said it was their handmaiden who betrayed us. They threatened her family, and she told them about Luke and Leia. Luke said Tarkin kept asking about the Jedi children and their Jedi mother. I don't know what else Palpatine knows. But I think he's been planning to strike Alderaan for a long time, and he chose Empire Day for the same reason we chose it. He knew no one would expect it."

She stopped, but Vader sensed there was more. He clenched his fist in anticipation.

"Leia was the one that killed Tarkin."

Vader hadn't been expecting that one.

"How did she manage that?"

"I don't know. Underestimated her? Didn't think she'd have the courage to do it? She just said he took her first blaster and didn't know she'd hidden a second. When he gave the order to kill Breha, she took it out and shot him. She's not really sure if he was looking away or distracted or what because it all happened so fast."

Somehow, the revelation that Leia shot Tarkin was both shocking and not. Shocking, because it was hard to reconcile Leia—all fire and outspokenness but also so kind with her mother's sharp sense of justice and the desire to do the right thing—with the person who killed Tarkin, a fierce and hardened war veteran since before the girl was even conceived. Not shocking because he'd always known that one day Leia would become a vicious and unforgiving warrior. He wished it didn't have to happen so soon.