Dance of the Sith

Chapter 5 - Breath In Ashes Every Night

Author's Note: Bonding with Vader and Leia and Vader and Ventress and the climax is upon us. :D

~ Amina Gila

Leia can't shake her worry – hasn't been able to since she first felt the disturbance in the Force. Her father is... hurting, even if he's not injured. It's something more, something worse. She can't help wondering if his fears about Ahsoka became real – if they met, and fought, and her aunt refused to listen.

And Leia is, admittedly, afraid of what else that might cause. Ahsoka is part of her family, and she doesn't want to think about what losing her would do to Vader. She's important to him, and she can't just... be gone.

When the ship he left on returns, he's alone, and the hurt he feels of is still burning brightly into the Force.

"Father," Leia breathes, running to him instantly.

He catches her, pulling her tightly into a hug and resting his chin on her head. She snuggles against his chest, clinging. It isn't much, but it's really all she can offer him – a steady, supportive presence at his side when he has nothing else.

Leia, at least, will always do whatever she can to be there, even if no one else does. And Cody will, because he's part of their family too, but it's still a little different. It's not in name, not where they can actively put the claim to it, because Cody is the head of Vader's fleet. They're... they're ranks are too different to allow it, and she remembers being so, so disappointed when her father first explained that.

He doesn't say a word about her not wearing her helmet again, either.

"Are you okay?" she asks, voice muffled.

"I'll be fine," he assures automatically.

"What happened?"

"I... fought Ahsoka," Vader explains quietly. "I tried talking to her, but it... didn't go well. She was angry. She ran, and no one was hurt, but it still – it happened."

"I'm sorry," she whispers, squeezing him tighter. Leia can't help him, really, but she still wants to try, and she knows Vader appreciates that enough for it to feel like she is.

"I know."

She's angry, but in truth, Leia doesn't fully understand Ahsoka's situation. It's probably unfair to blame her for this, for the hurt she feels from Vader, but there's a small part of her that wants to do it anyway. Leia has only known the Empire, was born the same time as it, and she can't understand why anyone would choose to fight it.

Vader had explained to her that if the Empire is corrupted, they have to change it from the inside out – the same as what her mother had once been trying for the Republic. With the Empire, there's hope of change, because the system is different, and there's someone who can do something about it.

And yeah, she knows it has shortcomings, but that's not a reason to go on random massacres or any of the things the Rebellion is doing. How can Ahsoka be blind to it?!

"What... are we gonna do?" she queries, and it might be a little too soon to talk about it, but she's wondering. She was afraid of this from the start and can't help thinking it'd be easier if Leia was able to talk to her herself.

"I don't know," he replies, and a flicker of darkness and hurt curls into the Force. She hates seeing him like this.

She senses someone approaching, and reluctantly pulls back. They can save the snuggling for later, probably. Even if she doesn't want to.

***

Ventress comes to talk to him again. Vader could live without seeing her again, but she's – she wasn't that bad. At least not the last time Vader talked to her. She's right that she's changed, though there's a lot to it he doesn't want to think about.