Love in the Dark

Chapter 16

Vader looked out of the Star Destroyer's bay windows, down onto the silvery and mountainous planet of Alderaan. One of his generals came up to him, slightly nodding his head and keeping a respectful – and safe- distance from him.

"Lord Vader, we have followed the signal emitted by our shuttle as you have commanded. It last released from near the Royal Palace at the capital city of Aldera."

Vader held his hands behind his back, straightening himself and his shoulders back. "Then that is where we'll go." After one last overall gaze at the landscape, he spun around on his feet and looked straight into his general's eyes. "Deploy our squadrons. Seal down the palace. No one enters – no one leaves."

"It shall be done immediately, my Lord." the general said, before slightly bowing to the Sith Lord and turning away.

*******

Upon seeing the imposing Star Destroyer enter the atmosphere, Khara and Leia had hurried to the Queen's side, Khara searching for safety and reassurance close to her mother.

Panic was spreading inside the palace, officials running left and right and advising their queen one after the other.

Breha Organa held the bridge of her nose, trying to focus in the middle of the chaos surrounding her. She held Khara by her arm, immobilizing the child in front of her. "Girls, go to your rooms and stay there." she had ordered them. The governess took the princess's arm as her mother let her go and, against Leia's own curiosity, she also followed the order.

The governess sat in a corner of the room, keeping her eyes on the little girls. Khara stayed close to her, but Leia went in front of the bay windows, not wanting to miss a single movement of the gigantic ship. She watched as a shuttle swooped down towards the palace followed by squadrons of TIE fighters, and bristled upon seeing the troopers that came out of it. But she let out a small gasp when she saw the dark figure that came out of the shuttle too, cloaked and fully dressed in black. Leia couldn't help but duck down, peeping cautiously from the bottom of the bay window. She whispered to herself, bewildered: "Of course; Darth Vader. Only he could be so bold." She had never seen him in person, and he was everything she had expected from Luke's depiction of him.

Khara cautiously stepped towards her friend, peeking past the window. The governess followed her and upon seeing the dark figure, let out a small squeak. The old woman wrapped her arms around the shoulders of the girls and pulled them back. "Stay away from the windows, girls." She ordered. Leia could sense the fear in her voice and complied to her order.

The change of energy surrounding the palace was palpable as soon as Vader and his stormtroopers crossed the threshold. The chaotic panic that was omnipresent moments before turned into silent fear. They were waiting. Waiting to see what the Sith Lord would do.

Vader didn't care about the Alderaanians who were around him. He went straight to the throne room, where her found the queen waiting for him on her throne.

"Darth Vader." Breha said warily, her guards flanking close to her as troopers swarmed in after the feared force-user.

Vader kept a small distance from the monarch. "I do not have a quarrel with your people, Breha Organa. I've only come for the child."

"I fail to understand what child you are talking about." The queen answered in a calm tone of voice. "We Alderaanian people are peaceful, we do not have anything for or against the Empire."

"I beg to differ." Vader said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Several months ago, I believe a ship from Naboo stopped here and left someone in your care. A child. Perhaps this will trigger your memory." Vader beckoned one of his officers forward who held out a hologram of a ship, "One of our shuttles led us here. It carried the mother of that child."
Breha's facial features tightened at the sight of the ship, eyes narrowing on the image.