Disclaimers: All things Star Wars belong to Lucasfilm.

All non-original dialogue in this story is credited to The Empire Strikes Back script (Script adaptation by Lawrence Kasden and Leigh Brackett, from a story by George Lucas).

Please do not reproduce this story without permission from the authors.

BY THE GRACE OF LADY VADER

by

Alderaan21

ami-padme,

and FernWithy/JediGaladriel,

Part Three

THE DAY OF THE ARRIVAL.

Amidala slipped into the room at the top of the spire. She barely remembered to check for witnesses in the hall outside before she locked herself in and scrambled across to the window, throwing the veils back as she went. She couldn't bear having anything interfere with her vision. The room was spectacular, commanding a view of all Cloud City, but Amidala cared only for one view right now.

She hadn't felt so fully alive since the first time Ani had swept her into his arms. Every color was clear and bright, every sound, musical. She felt as though she could dance above the clouds. She could touch the frozen soil of the gas giant below and send forth a new spring, a wave of brilliant flowers spreading out from her fingertips.

She stood perfectly still, not moving a muscle for fear of revealing her presence too soon.

Far below, the gangplank of the Millennium Falcon lowered and Leia came out. Amidala's eyes passed over the pilot and the Wookiee without acknowledgment.

Leia.

She was dressed all in white, an almost conscious repudiation of

(me)

Ani, but she didn't look pale or dull in the bright colors of Cloud City. She glowed, like a small star.

Her hair had reddish highlights that Amidala had never noticed in the vids. They caught the tone of Bespin's sun. The color was a gift from Winama. The tight, practical braids reminded Amidala of Shmi Skywalker. She couldn't see it from here, but she knew that Leia had her own eyes.

But mainly, it was Ani she saw, Ani as he was before, round-faced, with delicate, inquisitive features. Ani, before the galaxy ripped him in two.

What am I doing?

The question screamed up from the void, the voices of all those she saw in Leia's face, all the loved ones who now walked only on the barren landscape of her own memory. Ani's voice, Winama's, Shmi's... the voice of a young girl with eyes not unlike Leia's, a girl who insisted that there were things she could not do.

What are you doing? Who have you become?

"I've become who I must be," Amidala whispered, her breath fogging the glass. "I do what I must."

On the landing platform, Calrissian swept the pilot into a friendly embrace.

For you, Leia. For Luke. For all those who were betrayed. I, too, will find the strength to do what I detest and become what I loathe, so I can create the galaxy I once believed in, to enforce the order of things as they should be.

Calrissian released the pilot, then whisked the group, and Leia, inside. Amidala was about to turn away - she'd seen what she'd come to see - when a glint of sun on metal caught her eye.

The droid might not have warranted her attention, except for the way it took a step backwards, looking insulted, when Calrissian ignored it. Then it shook its golden head, and began to pick its way up the platform. He was already several meters behind the others.

Amidala clasped her hands together, feeling high and gleeful. It was astounding, really, letting her feelings run free. She wished she could just call out, maybe run down onto the platform.

But that wouldn't do. If she could have done that, she'd have done it in order to get to Leia, not Threepio. But she could work with Threepio. She pulled the veils back over her head, and slipped out of the room.

Ani was standing outside, and she took his hands and kissed the side of his mask (he lifted his head in surprise). "Ani, I have an idea, but I have to go quickly. Don't do anything until I've come back and told you."

"If you wish, my Lady."

"Threepio is still with her."

"I see."

Amidala smiled, and imagined that Ani was smiling, then ducked into the turbolift and let it plunge down to the platform level. The speed made her lightheaded, but what of it?

This part of the City was solidly under Imperial control - more accurately, it was solidly under Ani's control; he was sending out Destroyers in a rotating schedule to keep an eye out for Ozzel - and she was able to make her way through the stormtroopers and officers without anyone stopping her. A few of the men bowed deeply. One called her "Your Majesty" as he opened a door for her.

The room she was headed for was a temporary barracks for a squadron of stormtroopers. It opened onto the city corridor that led from the platform to the lodgings Calrissian was planning to give to Leia.

The men jumped up at the sight of her, and stood at attention, though several of them were half out-of-uniform. She nodded impatiently to them, and scanned the room for something she could use. "Gentlemen, I need a droid with audio-mimetic capabilities."

One of them saluted, broke rank, and disappeared into an antechamber. He returned with a protocol droid not unlike Threepio himself. "Your Majesty," he said sharply, then handed her the control and marched back into line.

"Very good, soldier. This will do nicely." She called the droid over to her, the plan, such as it was, coming to her in bits and pieces. It seemed a little foolish if she thought of it too closely. But Threepio... well, perhaps foolish plans would work best on him. She glanced up at a monitor above the door, which was focused on the incoming rebels (just in case Calrissian decided to try something stupid). The Wookiee lumbered past, then, at the far edge, Threepio appeared.

Amidala waved at the stormtroopers to stand back, out of the sightline from the door, then she spoke softly to the protocol droid. "Mimic an R2 class astromech droid -"

"Yes, madam. Do you have a preference for the year?"

"I'm not sure of the year. Nothing that wasn't operating thirty-five years ago."

"And what will I say?"

"Something that does not indicate an Imperial presence. Comment on the weather."

"Very well." The droid began to emit a series of beeps and whistles.

Sure enough, Threepio stopped right in front of the door. "That sounds like -"

Amidala hit the control beside the door, then gave the droid a shove. It went out into the passage, leaving her face to face with a disappointed-looking See-Threepio, for the first time in many years. She grabbed his arm and pulled him in, shutting the door silently behind him.

"Hush, Threepio," she said.

"Oh, dear! Lady Vader, oh, if you are here, then... oh, my heavens!" He fretted and tried to get back to the door, but he wasn't very strong, physically, and Amidala was determined.

"Threepio," she whispered, "it's me, Padmé. I see you're still perfect."

"I have no memory... perhaps... "

Amidala looked over her shoulder at the stormtroopers, and raised her voice to a level they would hear. "Leave me with this droid. I will see to it."

"Ma'am, my Lady... your Majesty," one of them stammered, "it will warn the rebels. We should destroy it."

"That was Palpatine's mistake all along. He destroyed too many things that could have been of use to him, if treated properly. Now, leave us."

"Yes, ma'am." The squadron formed up (some still half-dressed), and left the room.

"My Lady Vader," Threepio said, "I am programmed... "

"I know your programming, Threepio. I did quite a bit of it toward the end. Access seven-seven-oh-two-four-Padmé-three-ay."

Threepio's head tilted, and she could hear the microcircuits working as they found the path around at least part of the memory block (much of his memory had been wiped, but some of it, she hadn't been able to bear losing; it would have been too much like killing Ani's firstborn), then he dipped his head a bit. "Queen Amidala."

"Yes. Very good. I need to speak to my daughter."

"I'm sorry, Mistress Amidala, but I have been programmed to protect Mistress Leia's interests from the Empire."

"Programmed." Amidala gritted her teeth. Losing her temper at Threepio wouldn't get her anywhere. "I am not the Empire. I am Leia's mother."

"I simply cannot arrange such a meeting. It would violate my entire protocol structure."

"Her father built your protocol structure! For the Maker's sake, Threepio - for your Maker's sake in particular - you must bring her to me." It was pointless, of course, arguing philosophically with Threepio. He was so close to sentient that she felt a need to convince him she was right, but in the end, his programming would win out. Well, she hadn't come this far to be derailed by her own former naiveté. "Threepio, access the command structure in the file I referred you to. It should contain an override."

"Yes, Mistress Amidala."

"Good. I hereby override intervening protocols. Do not speak of my presence in this city, or the Empire's. Suggest to Leia that a walk in the public gardens on the fourth level would be pleasant. See to it that she is there in two hours."

"Oh, that's a fine idea. Mistress Leia has been very tense of late, and a pleasant garden stroll would be... "

"Threepio."

"Yes. But Mistress Leia can be a bit stubborn. She may be unwilling, regardless of your presence."

"So be convincing. If she seems unwilling, tell her you saw something suspicious there, and need her opinion on it. But bring her there."

"Yes, Mistress Amidala."

"Good." She touched his wrist. "I'm happy to see you again, Threepio. I've missed you."

"And I, you, Madam." He gave an electronic sigh. "How I wish Master Anakin were here."

Amidala considered telling him that he had his wish, but decided not to push her luck. "I know, Threepio," she said. "Now, go."

"Yes, my Lady."

He went back through the door, leaving her alone again.

But it was for the last time.

In two hours, she would have her family back.

The vision shattered, but Luke couldn't wake himself up.

It had been a long, exhausting day physically, and when he'd gone into meditation before sleep, he'd sent himself deep. Now, as the vision he'd had over and over - the vision of Han in agony - suddenly fragmented and blew itself out into ether, something more horrible bubbled up from underneath, like noxious swamp gas.

"Luke! Help me!"

He hears her voice, but he can't see her. He is standing in the red fog, his vision obscured by shifting crimson shadows. "Leia!"

"I'm here! Help me!"

"Luke! Han! Someone!"

But no one answers. Luke realizes that he can no longer hear Han screaming, but he can't sense him anywhere else either. Not strange. Han is

(... a blind spot in the Force. He would mean trouble...)

not always easy to see, but wherever he is, Leia isn't finding him. Luke dives into the gore, and tries to swim, but something beneath is pulling at him, dragging him back with gentle, silken threads...

There was a sharp jab at his chest, and he was brought rudely up into the waking world. Yoda stood over him, gimer stick poised to strike again. "Lost, you tend to become, young Skywalker. Focus, you must."

"I can't. Something's wrong, Yoda. Something's very wrong."

"Hmmmph. Wrong has something been for many years. Change it this evening, you cannot."

"I have to go to Bespin. Leia's in trouble." Luke stood up, throwing away his blankets and looking for his bag.

"You must not! Finish your training, you must!"

"I can't."

"Shifting, this vision is. Seeing it clearly, you are not. Help you here, I will. And Obi-Wan. Help you to understand it."

"By the time I understand it, Han and Leia could be dead. I have to go to them." He closed his eyes, and the blood-red water of the swamp seeped across his vision, casting a secret scarlet glow on everything. "Whatever is happening, they're in danger."

"As are you!" Yoda took a few steps forward, and planted his gimer stick firmly between Luke's feet. "Seeking you, the Empire is. Trying to lure you. They know that you -"

Luke shook his head. He wasn't going to let Yoda drag him into another debate about whether or not he was too focused on his friends, and not focused enough on his training. "I can't do this, Yoda. If my going there will get them out of danger, then I have to go."

"Remove Leia from danger, it will not. And if you also fall, all else is lost with you. All."

Something in what he was saying spoke to a deep, cool place in Luke's mind, but it was dull and far off. Closer to the surface, he smelled the burning blood of the vision, saw Leia's small hands clawing at the mud. He shook his head, his lips set tightly, and started to get his things together.

"You see, Your Highness!" Threepio exclaimed, in his oddly realistic imitation of glee. "It's really quite pretty here."

Leia sighed. She'd had a pounding headache for the past two hours, and she couldn't seem to think clearly through it. She'd been glad to leave Han and Lando to their boisterous talk. Her mind felt like crystal, and it was vibrating dangerously. "Yes, I suppose so. But you said you'd seen something questionable."

"I did? Yes, of course. I saw... oh, perhaps it was nothing at all."

"Threepio," Leia said, biting back her impatience, "I know you aren't programmed to lie. Did you see something suspicious or not?"

"Yes, of course. Something very suspicious. It's just a bit further" He clattered on down the path, which was made of metal that was painted to look like stones. About halfway down, he raised his arms. "Oh, yes. I remember. Here."

Leia hurried her pace and looked into the small alcove he was pointing to. There were white flowers, and red flowers, all arranged prettily on trellises. High hedges made it private. There was the soft sound of an artificially created wind, pulling this way and that among the leaves. There was something discomforting about it. In the back, there was a shadowy recess...

She put her hands to her temples, feeling suddenly like a pick was being driven through her skull. "Threepio, what is it? What did you see?"

"He saw me."

The shadows in the recess came to life, and a scarlet breeze drafted out from them. Leia knew what she was seeing - she wasn't insane, not yet - but she refused to acknowledge it. "Threepio," she said. "Why am I here?"

"It's not Threepio's fault," the wind said. "I activated programming that was suppressed in his memory."

At last, she could deny it no longer. When she spoke, her voice was flat and dull. "He was yours first."

"Actually," Lady Vader said, "he was your father's."

Suddenly, Leia understood what was discomforting about the wind. Oh, certainly, there was a fan somewhere, blowing a steady band of wind across the gardens. But here, this close, there was an undercurrent to it - an even, precise rhythm that she'd heard in her worst nightmares. She looked beyond her mother, and saw him standing there, the great shadow that her mother had emerged from.

She turned to run, but she felt a ghostly hand on her shoulder, willing her to stay, pulling her back into the alcove. "Let me go!"

Real hands touched her arms - small, warm hands, grasping at her in a desperate, sickening way. "My Leia, my Leia... we've searched for you for such a long time. Please, don't run. We mean you no harm."

She pulled away from all the hands, physical and ephemeral, jerking herself into the prickly hedge in the process. "Don't touch me!"

She hadn't said it to strike out; it was just an atavistic loathing of their touch. It made her both cold and feverish.

Lady Vader took a step back, and her hands disappeared beneath the veil. Her shoulders hitched in what could only be a sob.

Leia paused, her shoulders pressed into the sharp leaves, and listened to her mother cry. "I... " she started, but couldn't think how to finish it. She didn't want to be here. She had to -

The black-gloved hand clamped around her wrist with finality, and she looked, almost involuntarily, into the masked face of her father. "Sit down," he said. "You have been sought and found, and you are, at the moment, captured. This need not be unpleasant."

The words stopped there, but she heard the remainder anyway: But it can be if you choose. It can be very unpleasant.

" - stop it." Mother's voice was clear, if a bit thick. She'd said something before "stop it" - "any," maybe, or something in another language - but Leia couldn't make sense of it. She came around, and her fingers again made contact with Leia's wrist. They didn't seek as desperately this time, just rested there, as if she were touching a fragile but beautiful and expensive statue. "Leia," she said, then again, "Leia," and again, until Leia thought she'd be driven mad by the sound of her own name.

"Mother," she finally managed to say.

"Yes." Both hands clasped around hers, and Leia remembered, against her will, the comfort of her nursery. "Oh, Leia. My little girl. How I've longed to see you."

"You knew where I was."

"I was unable to come to you."

"Of course not. Not when you were so busy hunting me down."

"Not hunting. Searching." She moved her hands, then there was a blur of red gauze, and the veils were thrown back. Leia looked into her own eyes. "Things are changing, Leia. We don't have to be at war anymore. We've challenged Palpatine."

"We?"

"Your father and I."

"Don't call him that."

"Leia," Vader said, "there is little point in refusing to acknowledge the obvious."

She glared at him, then turned back to Mother. To Lady Vader. "I don't fight Palpatine," she said. "I fight all of you."

Lady Vader's face grew cool and set, though Leia had not thought such a thing possible a moment ago. A moment ago, she had been almost disgustingly soft. Now... Oddly, it was a face Leia found more to her liking, though one less likely to placate her. "It's a strange war you fight, Leia, if you don't care who your enemy is."

"My enemy is the Empire and everything it stands for."

"All it has ever stood for is Palpatine. We will make it stand for something else."

Leia resorted to sarcasm, surprised how easily it came to her in this situation. "Oh, so you'll use absolute power and tyranny to accomplish different ends. That makes everything all right."

"And your Rebellion," Mother said, her voice a saw. "What does it stand for? You will fight for anarchy? For the memory of an antiquated and corrupt Republic? Leia, I was there when the Republic still lived. You are fighting for the shadow of a dream. The reality... you have no idea what the reality was."

"I remember one reality," Leia said softly. "I remember that we ran from the Empire. I don't know how long, or where. But I remember you being frightened. I remember that, Mother."

"Everyone is frightened of change."

"Not everyone hides a child in a trunk to avoid change."

Mother's eyes widened in surprise. Good. Then she shook her head, as if she were shaking water out of her ears. "It doesn't matter. I held... certain naive beliefs." She waved her hand impatiently. "I no longer hold them."

"You were supposed to have died. Where were you all those years?"

"I was in prison, if you must know. At Palpatine's hands. Your father had me released when he found out."

"So naturally, you became the face of the new and improved Empire."

"I did what I needed to." Her face softened again. "Oh, Leia, please. I don't want to fight with you."

"I told you this was pointless," Vader said. "I have known this child for many years. She is stubborn and intractable."

Mother's lips twitched in something that was almost a smile, almost pretty. "She came by it naturally, my love."

Leia might have been won at that moment of strangeness. It was one point she simply couldn't deny - she could stand toe to toe with Vader, and she'd always had a sneaking enjoyment of those episodes (at least until he resorted to more arcane methods of trying to make her change her mind) because he never gave in. She stood there, suddenly wanting to ask other questions. She could feel them pushing up, wanting to explode out of her. It would have been easy to justify - you don't need to join them to demand answers to the nagging questions in your heart - and if she had started down that path... the questions, there were so many, and every one would lead to another... She might have been won at that moment, except for the very shared trait that had begun it. She kept firmly to her ground. And Vader continued his own argument.

"Nevertheless," he said, "I do not believe we will accomplish anything. We will return to the ship with Leia, and you can continue this conversation as you please. Meanwhile, we should prepare for Luke's arrival."

The ground opened beneath Leia's feet, and the heavens poured down fire. A great wind buffeted her against hot stone.

She stood still, her hands clenching into fists. "Luke?" she repeated.

"Yes," Mother said. "He's on his way." She smiled again, this time genuinely pretty, but Leia no longer cared. She was too confused to care. "No matter what you may think, I'm glad the two of you found one another at last. When I separated you, I feared you never would, and you were so fond of each other as babies."

"Luke?" Leia said again. It seemed to be both the only word that made sense, and a totally new word, in a tongue she'd never heard before.

Mother was nodding vaguely, her face getting that glazed and ecstatic look again, when something suddenly seemed to occur to her. Her face was pale already, after the years behind the veil, but now it turned the color of curdled milk. "You don't know? You never made the connection? Obi-Wan never told him?"

Leia just stared at her.

"Obi-Wan was supposed to tell him. He was supposed to tell him everything, as soon as it was time. Certainly before he met you."

"That," Vader said, "has always seemed to me a highly unlikely occurrence."

Leia took no notice of him. She was still staring at her mother. When I separated you... You don't know? ... Obi-Wan was supposed to tell him...

"Leia, you haven't... he's not... "

Leia found her voice, and it was a scream. "No! Never! You... how could you do that? How could you risk that?" She backed further into the hedge, not minding - or noticing - the scratches it was tracing on her cheeks.

Mother was starting to come toward her again, perhaps to draw her out, when sharp, quick footsteps broke the noise barrier of the wind and father's labored breathing. An Imperial officer appeared at the gate of the alcove, barely noted Leia with his eyes, and bowed to Mother. "Your Majesty," he said, then bowed slightly to Father, "My Lord." He looked to Mother again. "The operation has begun," he said.

Mother's eyebrows lowered. "What? I'm sorry, I don't... "

"Very good," Father said. "Leave us."

Mother shook her head. "Captain, please -" A glance at Father. She would put up a united front, though she seemed taken by surprise. "What stage of the operation have you reached?" The officer glanced nervously at Leia, so Mother said, "This prisoner is secure, Captain."

"The legion is in place," he said. "And Solo and the Wookiee are being brought to it." He saluted, and left the alcove.

Leia's mind came crashing back into place. Han. Han was in danger. She had to get to him.

She made a mad dive for the gate, though she knew she had no chance. No invisible hands this time. Her father caught her upper arms, his hands more effective than iron binders.

The prisoner was secure.

Amidala understood three things simultaneously: first, that Ani had arranged for the capture of the pilot and the Wookiee while she'd been out re-programming Threepio; second, that he had not done so with any thought of subterfuge - he'd simply assumed she would know him well enough to guess (she supposed he was right; she just been too distracted to think about it); and, third, that the pilot was Leia's lover. The notion of Leia having a lover was disturbing, almost beyond tolerance, but she had to tolerate it. She had to tolerate it because she recognized the look on Leia's face. She had felt it on her own face many times. Leia would face danger to herself with some degree of resignation. But danger to the pilot... she would react by fighting, clawing...

Rejecting, utterly, those who had placed him in danger in the first place.

Ani seemed to be reaching the same conclusion - his back had straightened, and he held his head in a position that had always (suit or no suit) shown irritation when his plans were interrupted by an unknown factor.

"Leia," she said, "we were telling the truth. We have no wish to hurt you."

Leia looked pointedly at Ani's hand, which was bending her wrist in what looked like an uncomfortable way. Her hand was beginning to swell, and was already fully immobilized.

"My love," Amidala said, not looking at Ani.

"She will run."

Amidala swallowed. She wasn't used to him contradicting her, any more than he was used to her contradicting him. When they disagreed, they kept it private. But he was right... this wasn't an Imperial matter. It was a family matter, and they shouldn't be giving one another implied orders.

Of course, they should also be communicating with one another about important tactical decisions, but that could wait until later. For now, they had to be on the same side. If Leia found a rift, she would use it to get away.

She's not a prisoner! She's your daughter!

Of course. But she was also a rebel, and as stubborn as Ani had ever been. If Amidala had thought to do this with Ani twenty years ago - just take him and hold him, against his will if necessary, until he saw sense again - then they wouldn't be in the mess they were in now. I will find the strength. She closed her eyes and opened them again. "She won't run as long as the pilot is in our custody and alive."

Ani let go of Leia, as much in surprise as in agreement. Amidala had not generally favored taking hostages. She still didn't, but Ani had created the situation, and she might as well use it. It was better than watching her husband snap her daughter's wristbones without even noticing he was doing it.

Leia pulled her hand away and began to rub the wrist vigorously, but her eyes were focused on Amidala. If she could have shot fire from them, Amidala was quite certain she'd be reduced to a pile of ashes already. "You... " But she stopped. Amidala bit down on any illusions that it was because she didn't want to finish the sentence. Illusions would cost all of them right now, and she couldn't afford any more. Leia didn't finish because she couldn't think of anything cruel enough to say.

"I'm sorry," Amidala whispered.

Ani's comlink beeped, and an officer reported that Solo was indeed in custody. Leia's head fell forward, as if she'd been struck, then she looked up again, her face cold.

That's me in there, Amidala realized. She isn't all Ani after all. She knows how to angry in the cold.

It wasn't a comforting thought, so she set it aside. "Oh, Leia, I'm so sorry. It was never supposed to be like this."

"How, precisely, was it supposed to go?"

Ani stepped forward. "You were to show some gratitude for the sacrifices she made to keep you safe as an infant."

"Safe from you. And now she's handed me to you."

"Safe from Palpatine," Amidala corrected. "You were never in danger from your father."

Mistake. They looked at each other - Leia with anger, Ani with something that began to approach guilt. She had been in plenty of danger from her father.

Amidala tried to fix it. "It was my fault. Had I simply told the truth in the first place the... the more negative experiences wouldn't have occurred."

Leia paused for a moment, several emotions working their way across her face. "You're a master politician, Mother," she said at last. "I'll give you that. But you'll need to do better than that."

Ani leaned in on her. "You have crossed the boundary, Leia. This is no longer tolerable."

Amidala's instinct was to continue to take the blame, to serve as a buffer between them. This wasn't a love of pain on her part; she had simply seen, that, for a moment, Leia had stopped to think about what she'd said. It had made her look at the past differently. Ani's intervention had just steeled her again.

The clacking of hard boots on cobblestones interrupted them for the final time, and Admiral Piett came into the alcove. He bowed deeply to Amidala. "Your Majesty," he said. "Luke Skywalker's fighter has entered the atmosphere."

Leia squeezed her eyes shut. "He'll never come to you any more than I will."

"But Leia," Amidala said, "you're already here."

A platoon of stormtroopers appeared beside Piett, and Amidala understood what they were for. She couldn't stand the thought of it, couldn't bear the idea that Leia - her Leia! - was so far from her at this point. But she recognized necessity. She looked to Ani. Ani would have the strength to do it.

He nodded, and looked at the stormtroopers. "Bring Princess Leia to our quarters and keep her under guard. If she is mistreated, I will hear of it, and I will be most displeased."

Leia, to her credit, was not enough of a fool to challenge his protection. The troopers formed around her, and they led her out.

"I am sorry, my love," Ani said. "I wish it had occurred as you had hoped, rather than as I had feared."

It wouldn't have been effective if she'd believed that he enjoyed being proven right, but it had never given him any pleasure to see others suffer because they had ignored his warnings. He had even grieved for his men on board the Death Star, and not once had he pointed out that, had his advice been heeded, those men would still be alive. Amidala herself hadn't learned of that advice until much later, when one of the few surviving officers - a man who had been injured in Leia's initial escape and shuttled to a nearby world before the battle - told her that Ani had loathed the station from the start. So when he told her that he hoped he'd been wrong about Leia, she knew he meant it, and it comforted her. "I know, Ani. I hate to see her captured like that. Beaten."

"I understand. But Luke is coming in. We must prepare for that meeting."

"Ani... "

"Yes, my love?"

"This... this was perhaps not the best approach. We are trying to bring them home, not intimidate them into giving us answers. Perhaps we... I mean, I think we should speak to them separately."

She waited for his outrage, but it didn't appear. "You're right, of course."

"And the pilot... "

Ani made a low, grumbling sound that did Amidala's heart good. It felt almost like the reaction of a normal father in a normal family, when his daughter brought home a man he didn't care for. "Something will be done about him."

"Don't give her an excuse for vengeance."

"It would hardly be an appropriate strategy to achieve our goals."

"I didn't realize until too late that -"

"Of course not. You, my love, are still surprised that she is not a toddler."

"Did you know?"

After a long pause, he said, "No. She blocks me, and he... he is a blind spot. I simply cannot see him at all. I was first aware of that at Yavin. I did not suspect. He is hardly her type."

"Is anyone?"

Ani's breathing cycle went through two-three-four-repetitions. "I suppose he is. But we have no time to discuss this."

With that, they were in full agreement again.

Even through the haze of fear and urgency, Luke saw the beauty of Cloud City. The spires and disks rose above the sun streaked clouds like an artist's dream, the graceful movement of the trafficways called to mind birds on an exotic shore. Luke had always believed that nature's designs were more beautiful than man's, but on Bespin, the two worked together to create a scene that took his breath away.

Focus.

He drew a breath, concentrated on the stale taste of the recycled air in the X-wing's cabin, and let it out. There was no time to appreciate the power of the place. He could feel Han and Leia nearby, both in imminent danger. Leia's presence in his mind was nearly deafening. She wasn't in physical pain, but her mind was reeling. She was angry and afraid, and hurt in some deep way that he didn't understand.

No escort appeared from the city, which would have made him suspicious if he hadn't already known that things were badly amiss here. There was no hail for landing permits, no automated directive message. He finally had to simply find a landing platform, guide the X-wing onto it, and land.

No one greeted him at the platform, either, but the door slid up soundlessly as soon as he approached it. He was being watched. He drew his blaster and went into the corridors of Cloud City, homing in on the pulsing energy in his mind that was Leia. Artoo followed him.

The city seemed to be deserted here, and a heavy, oppressive chord cut through the silence. He made his way down the empty hallway, certain at each doorway that an enemy would suddenly appear. They were there, naturally, in groups, just in case he chose a different path - he could feel them, like pointed weapons. In his mind, he practiced lightsaber parries from any angle of attack, and he kept his blaster at the ready for more conventional enemies.

If they appear from behind me, through one of the doors I've passed, go low, then draw the lightsaber to deflect fire and then attack.

Artoo whistled something softly, and Luke shushed him. He didn't have a scanner to read what the droid was trying to say.

If they attack from the side, fire as the door opens, before they have a chance to orient themselves to the hallway.

He looked through a window, and saw vast gardens in the center of the city, their beauty unmarred even by the darkness that wafted through them like a cold wind.

If they attack...

Suddenly, he heard the unmistakable sound of stormtroopers on the march, their footfalls in perfect, echoing unison on the metal floors. Leia's presence was suddenly all around him. He ducked into a side corridor.

The platoon came around the corner in formation, and in the center, he saw her, dressed in blue, her hair in a simple braid. Not giving himself a chance to think, he ran out into the corridor and began to fire at the stormtroopers.

The platoon fired back, but they seemed to be aiming at the floor. A wall of smoke rose up.

"Luke!" Leia cried. "Luke, go back! It's a trap! Don't listen to them!" She was whisked around a corner, then suddenly appeared again. "Luke! Please! Don't listen! Whatever they say is a lie!"

She was dragged back into the other hall, and Luke went through the smoke to follow her. By the time he got there, the hallway was empty. It branched in several directions, and her presence was so all-encompassing that he couldn't tell which one she'd taken.

A door rose.

It's a trap.

(It doesn't matter. I am here because they are looking for me, and if I go, then they will let Han and Leia be.)

You know that's not true.

He did know. But there weren't many options. He went through the door.

It slid shut before Artoo could make it, but Luke didn't notice the droid's absence until much later. At that moment, he only noticed that his retreat was blocked. If this had been a mistake, he was stuck with it.

If they attack from the front, the blaster will serve for a small group, but draw the lightsaber as quickly as you can to deflect fire.

The corridor led down, into the working areas of the city, drawing toward the gardens he'd seen, but not along the paths of the citizens. The walls were lined with supplies and chemicals, and a stench rose from a level underneath. The pipes and power lines in the walls stood revealed. One line was smoking, and Luke noticed that a line of lights was out. With no surprise, he realized that the darkened lights led into the only corridor open to him at the next bend.

He followed the path, and, again, the door shut behind him.

Again, the corridor led down, taking him beneath the level of the garden. He could smell something earthy in the air. The machines that drove the artificial wind above were here, and their endless whirr drowned out any sound that might have come from the rest of the city.

If they attack from above...

The other effect of the machines was that the constant backflow of the exhaust filled the room with a cool, swirling breeze. Sight, hearing, and touch... all impaired in this room. Luke had only the Force to lean on, and the energy it brought him was so strong that he nearly staggered. There was a sense of victory in this room, of exaltation, but also of confusion and fear. Beneath it, though, was darkness and despair.

Vader. Vader is here. He is waiting to kill me as he killed my father. The wind covers up the respirator.

Luke drew his lightsaber. The blaster would be useless against Vader. The blade lit up a small area around him - which wasn't very useful, since he still saw nothing.

Something touched the back of his neck, something soft and light, like an insect's wing. He spun, but nothing was there.

He turned again, slowly, into the wind, and again felt the touch, steady now, covering his face. He batted at it with his lightsaber and it fell away.

He was bending to look at it when the low emergency lights came on.

The first thing he saw was the veil on the ground, red, but dark enough to be almost black in the low lighting. The mark of his lightsaber was an insult to its beauty. He stood slowly, suddenly not wanting to meet the eyes of the figure who stood on the catwalk above him, her gown flowing out into the wind, her uncovered hair a river of darkness.

Lady Vader smiled. "Welcome, my son," she said. "I've been waiting for you."

For that attack, Luke knew no parry.

Ozzel glowered at the communications array aboard the Iron Will. He was still technically the ranking officer on this ship, and if worse came to worse - correction when it did - he could take command, but for now, Admiral Mahrek had said that his "talents were better used in a different position." Ozzel had protested, but apparently, the Emperor was of the opinion that he had opened fire on Vader too soon. Since neither Mahrek nor the Emperor had been there, Ozzel had been unable to state his case with sufficient strength. He was sure that Vader was plotting high treason, but no one else seemed to take it seriously. So here he was, approaching Bespin and what was sure to be the decisive military strike against Vader and his woman... and he was serving as a communications technician.

Never mind. He would find a way to prove himself.

Captain Sequi was pacing the bridge, looking guiltily over his shoulder at Ozzel. He had been given direct orders to keep command of the ship, and Ozzel would respect them (at least, of course, until he had no choice), but he didn't intend to make it any easier on the man. A captain had no business in command when an admiral was on board.

A light flashed on the comm panel, and Ozzel flipped the switch beneath it. A hazy holoimage of the world of Bespin came into view. Ozzel spoke into his comlink. "Admiral Mahrek, we're getting preliminary surveillance signals from the scout droids."

"Good. Analyze them."

Ozzel clenched his teeth, and concentrated on focusing the images (the post wasn't entirely without precedent; he'd served as a comm-officer for two years and performed quite adequately). The first showed four Star Destroyers and the Executor in orbit over a gas giant. A fifth Destroyer came in from out of frame, and one of the others went back out. "He is aware of our pursuit," Ozzel told Mahrek. "He's sending out Destroyers in a rotating schedule. "

"I see. Any other information?"

I will bide my time.

He focused the second image, the image of Cloud City. The Imperial presence - no, the Vaders' presence - was growing rapidly, and Ozzel thought it looked like they were emerging from hidden posts. Disgusting. Vader had hidden, like a Rebel. But he was coming out now, certainly. TIE fighters flew the traffic patterns, and two more Star Destroyers hung in orbit in this side of the world. Shuttles were coming and going. The Vaders had been quite busy here in this little hive of theirs. He saw something scarlet above the city, and pulled the focus in more tightly.

What he saw made him stand up and nearly demand that command be given back to him. Above the city, a holo-banner of the Emperor had once flown. Ozzel could still see one corner of the deep and dark eyes that appeared over so many outposts. No doubt that not all of them had ever been particularly loyal, but they knew enough to put on a show. Now, the program had changed. Some prankster - either a local or one of Vader's minions - had splashed the banner with pixel tint. Now, in place of the Emperor's watchful care, the city was overlooked by an unseen face, covered with a scarlet veil.

"Admiral Ozzel, have you other information?"

"Cloud City seems to be under the impression that the Empire is under new leadership."

There was a long pause. Good. Mahrek had been certain that Vader's maneuvering would come to nothing, as most maneuvering in the high Imperial circles did. He hadn't seen the way Lady Vader manipulated both her husband and the public. She had probably been plotting this attempt since her unlikely reappearance three years ago. And, unlike the other officials, she bore deep ill will for the Emperor, and it was his place she aimed for. Ozzel was certain of that, though he had no evidence. And her husband was cowed enough by her that he had helped her do it.

"What kind of compliment have you seen?"

"Seven Star Destroyers, and of course, the Executor. With their full compliments of fighters. But our force is superior. We should be able to overcome them easily."

"Thank you for your strategic analysis."

"And since it is clear that we will be going into a battle, it would be appropriate if the ranking officer... "

"I am the ranking officer. You are doing well at communications, Ozzel."

The connection was cut off, and Ozzel fought an urge to fire at the comlink. That would be a pointless gesture. "Captain Sequi?"

"Yes?"

"Prepare the ship and crew for battle. We haven't been ordered in yet, but we undoubtedly will be. Vader will fight unfairly if given a chance, so we should be ready to strike quickly, before he has a chance to fight back."

"Admiral, I... well, as I understand it, a person doesn't sneak up on Lord Vader very easily."

"Surely you don't believe such nonsensical fairy tales."

"No, but you've seen how he... "

"Captain, prepare the ship."

If Sequi planned to assert Mahrek's directive, this was the time for it. He could - without much difficulty - send Ozzel to the brig for insubordination.

He did nothing. He just gaped, his mouth opening and closing, then nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Then we are in agreement. Proceed."

Feeling better about the situation, Ozzel found the communications array less irritating. It was time to find out where the Vaders themselves were.

After all, a targeted attack was the only way to restore his good name. He would sweep in, he would destroy these pretenders, and at last, the humiliation of the past weeks would be lifted from his shoulders. Maybe he'd be given a medal. Certainly, he would have a place in the history books - Ozzel, the Emperor's trusted lieutenant, who, alone among the faithful, acted to save the true Empire from its greatest threat.

Dreaming those dreams, he let Sequi arm the Iron Will around him. When they entered the Bespin system, his mind was choosing a new home on Coruscant, and deciding where his statue would be best displayed.

The first blast struck only moments after they came out of lightspeed.

Lando was spending most of his energy getting Han and the six city guards around them through the corridors without attracting notice, but even so, he could see the change that had come over Bespin. It wasn't the stormtroopers. He'd been expecting those. It was the city itself.

As they passed the archways that led into other sections of the city, he found that many of the small figures of the Emperor had been smashed, or draped in red silk. One square actually had a banner reading - if he had read it properly in the instant of passing it - "Bespin: Heart of the New Empire." Written, of course, on a holographically projected crimson banner.

It's happening. She's Empress.

Lando wanted to go back to his office and think about the implications. Lady Vader... Empress. She could be... it might not be...

It was too late. He'd already betrayed them by springing Han and Chewie. If Cloud City wasn't going to go down with him, he'd have to leave it behind, and go back to running scams with Han.

Not that he figured Han would actually keep him around after this.

They reached the corridors that led to his own home, the side the Vaders had moved into. He held up a hand to stop Han. "We'll have to be careful," he whispered. "We're getting close."

"Any ideas?"

"They'll know you in that get-up."

"They know me anyway."

"Are you sure? I don't think they got much of a look at you. Always just called 'the pilot.'" He signaled to one of the city guards, and a moment later, Han had switched into the gray uniform.

Han surveyed the guard, who was uncomfortably wearing the vest and pants. "Lay low," he said. "Don't try to draw fire, 'cause you'll get it. And when we get out of here -"

"On it, man," the guard said.

Lando nodded. "The rest of you, get back into the city. Do what you gotta do."

"We'll wait for the rebels."

"If that's what you gotta do."

They smiled at each other, then the guards slipped back into the corridor, leaving Chewie, Han, and Lando alone.

"What do we have to expect?"

Lando shook his head. "Who knows? Last I knew, they were staying here. If they're questioning Leia, that's where she'll be."

"They could've taken her back to the Star Destroyer."

"I don't think so. They're up to something big. I think they'll keep to the surface. The Star Destroyers are going to be on patrol. They'll want to be someplace stable."

"And, if we get in there, do you know a way out?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I had my little escapes. Can't have the Baron walking right out the front door to go do some of the things that can be done around here."

Chewie grumbled; Lando only caught a little of it. Even Han had to concentrate a minute before he said, "Yeah, right. I don't see a lot of stormtroopers, but I ain't underestimating Vader. Lando, any way to get him out of there?"

Lando was trying to think of some scam to run when the gate suddenly opened, and Han pushed all three of them back into the shadows.

Never mind, then. Vader left the house. Four stormtroopers appeared from the shadows - never count them out, Lando reminded himself - and he conferred with them, then looked over toward the gardens. He seemed to be undecided.

Then an officer ran into the square, and reported something to him, too low for Lando to hear. Whatever it was, it decided him. He turned away from the gardens, and toward the landing platforms.

Han started to move forward, but Lando pushed him back. He might say he wasn't going to underestimate Vader, but that's what he was doing.

Vader stopped at the edge of the square, his cape catching up to him and swirling around his legs. His head turned toward the shadows where Lando was hiding, and he could feel something, something like a powerful magnet, trying to pull him forward. It was overwhelming, and only Chewie's threatening hand on his neck was able to keep him from moving.

If it had gone on any longer, Lando didn't think he would have been able to stop, save for Chewie ripping his head off, which would tip everyone off by the noise anyway. But Vader apparently decided he didn't have time to draw anyone off. He said something into his comlink, then strode off toward the landing platforms. Lando wasn't surprised when another platoon of stormtroopers formed up around the door.

Damn.

"We're going to have to find another way," Han said. "What else is there?"

Lando shook his head. "Come on. Let's just hope he wasn't telling them that the Administrator was back here. "He stood tall, and signaled for Han to do likewise. "Chewie, you better pull that prisoner act again."

Chewie gave a dispirited moan, but placed his wrists together as if they were bound.

Han caught his arm. "If this is another of your deals, Lando, you're a dead man."

Lando knew he'd earned that, but it was still a fight to keep from lashing back. "No deals," he said. "Let's move."

They crossed the square, looking as officious as they could, with Chewbacca following them. The captain of the platoon held up one hand. "Halt. What is your business?"

If Vader had guessed who he felt in the shadows, Lando was sunk, but there was nothing he could do about that. "Lando Calrissian," he said, and, knowing it was probably the last time he'd say it, added, "administrator of this facility. The guard has captured one of the fugitives, and this is the most secure location at the present time. He's to be kept with the girl."

The troopers looked at each other nervously. Whatever was going on, mention of "the girl" was enough to set all the Imperials on edge. "All right," the captain finally said. "But don't let it bruise or injure her in any way. The Vaders' orders are clear on that account."

"I'll keep an eye on it," Han said, able to get control of almost half the sarcasm in his voice. The troopers were, thankfully, not too bright, and didn't catch it. Their formation opened, and Lando was let into the house.

The stormtroopers who had not been in evidence outside were swarming here. Some were on guard, others were at ease - or as close to at ease as these guys got in uniform - in the lounges. They were posted every few meters in the hallway, and more frequently as they approached the room where Leia was being held (quite obvious, because it was individually guarded, and the others weren't).

"Another prisoner," Lando said.

The guard looked up suspiciously. "In here? I find it unlikely."

"Do you want to contact Lord Vader about it? He looked like he was in a hurry, but if you'd like to disturb him... "

The guard looked around nervously, then hit a control panel on the door. "Perhaps Lady Vader wished to see him... "

Lando's stomach turned. He was afraid of trying to blast through all these soldiers, but he could imagine himself doing it. The thought of aiming at Lady Vader, let alone firing... he knew he couldn't. And he knew Han couldn't.

But it wasn't Lady Vader behind the door.

Leia stood there, blinking into the corridor, for only a brief moment, her face cool and collected. Then she grabbed the stormtrooper's wrist and yanked herself against him, hard, smashing her nose against the corner of his helmet. Blood ran across the white armor, spattering out so that it looked like -

Like he'd hit her.

Oh, not exactly - the spatter pattern would be evident to anyone who had the chance to explain, but Vader would not give him such a chance.

The guard realized it at the same time Lando did, and slipped back into the room with a low moan, beating at his armor, dropping his weapon in the doorway. The other stormtroopers in the hall, who were just beginning to notice, suddenly drew their weapons.

Leia jumped in front of Han. "Try it," she said. Blood from her nose spattered down onto the carpet.

The hesitation was enough. Han grabbed the guard's blaster and handed it to Leia. "Come on, sweetheart," he said. "We're leaving."

Leia fired first into the hallway, felling a stormtrooper who had ventured toward them. After that, there was no time to lose. Lando led them deeper into the center of the house, hoping the Vaders hadn't thought to block or guard what he thought of as his "sabaac-doors" - the doors he left by when he was planning to play cards in the places where it wouldn't do for him to be seen.

Lando went first, and put himself in danger from any stormtroopers rushing in from the other wing, but there weren't many - most had been guarding the entrance, and were behind them. Leia kept the rearguard, shooting frequently. The stormtroopers occasionally fired, when they thought they could get around her, but their aim was wide in their fear of hitting her. Han and Chewie swept the hallway from side to side, blasting the controls of each door they came to, locking in any troops who were laying in wait.

Three stormtroopers appeared in front of Lando, and he fired reflexively. One went down, then a shot from Han took out another. The third didn't get a chance to draw his blaster - Chewie picked him up and threw him backward into the hallway (barely missing Leia in the process, but she didn't seem to notice - whatever was going on with her, it had made her pretty damned careless of her own safety).

At last, Lando found the door into the conservatory. It was unoccupied; the troops apparently had little taste for fine music and artwork, though at some point, someone had taken the time to add lewd decorations to one of the statues. Lando grimaced. That hadn't been necessary.

He shut the door and blasted the lock from the inside. "I have a way out," he said, before either Han or Leia could say anything. "What are we dealing with, Leia? We saw Vader leave... "

"I don't know why. He wasn't giving me a debriefing."

"Where's Lady Vader?"

Han stepped forward and put a protective hand on Leia's shoulder. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. "She's gone after Luke, I think."

"Honey," Han said, "why is she after Luke? I know why she's after you, but -"

Leia, quite abruptly burst into tears. She put her hands to her face, and gasped in pain when she hit her swollen nose. "The same reason," she managed to get out. "He's my brother. And he's in trouble." She closed her eyes tightly, and swallowed hard, getting the tears under control. "I'm sorry. It's so... I can't... "

"It's okay," Han whispered. "I got you."

Lando didn't understand any of what was going on, except that the door to the conservatory wouldn't hold up long under fire. "Come on," he said, hitting a button on the chess table. A panel in the floor opened, and revealed a ladder that led to the service corridors. "It's time to leave."

Palpatine tried to suppress the story of Vader's rebellion, but too many outlets of the press were on worlds controlled by the Rebellion, or by those loyal to Lady Vader. Word spread, a dance of light - and shadow - among the stars.

On the world of Tatooine, in the city of Mos Espa, the news came to an exultant crowd in the streets. The New Empire would be their Empire, as it had been promised long ago. Palpatine's protection of Jabba and the Hutt hegemony would exist no longer. Picking up anything that could be used a weapon, the mob marched, singing, into the high desert. In the countryside of the same world, farmers listened with passing interest, but little else - whoever ran the Empire, the vaporators would still break down; whoever won the war, the world would still need water. Most were sympathetic to the Rebellion, but life without the Empire was nothing but the wistful dream of those who could afford such escapism.

Malastare had cared little for the Republic and less for the Empire, though the latter at least had the decency to stay out of its local business. Leaders allied themselves immediately with Palpatine - the odds always favored the incumbent, and besides, they did have something of a history with him, and this Vader... he might not really understand the Malastare economy - but, as non-humans didn't hold positions in any part of the Imperial army, the major activity of the war on Malastare was a sudden rage of betting on the various participants. A few even placed bets on the long shot Rebels.

The informal blockade of Corellia fell that day, though no one would notice it for quite some time. Imperial ships that had been casually "using traffic lanes for transit" - some for up to five years - had suddenly been called to war, and the Corellian traders took advantage of the situation to make some minor modifications to the local surveillance equipment. Henceforth, it would transmit only a randomized sequence of standard communications. Other transmissions that might come from the planet, transmissions not on the short list of recognized types - say, trade agreements and alliances - would slip right by the monitor.

Not all of the Alderaanian exile had found its way into the Rebellion, and many didn't wish to. "We are a people who speak peace and mean it," the old ones said. "We shall stand straight, with our faces resolved to accept whatever comes of this." And in truth, did it matter? The Rebels didn't stand a chance, and of the two Imperial factions, what possible difference would such a cosmetic change effect? The few outside the Rebellion who chose sides chose the Vaders. A rumor had gone around that he had opposed the Death Star, and she certainly took active steps toward helping the less fortunate in the galaxy. That she had started the rumor, or that he enforced the philanthropy, were ideas that had occurred to them, but they were too weary for cynicism.

There were long memories on the world of Melida/Daan, but those memories were vague and confused. They remembered a Jedi apprentice who had rejected the order to help them, but his name was unrecorded or had been lost. Perhaps it had been this Vader who had helped them. Even if it wasn't, a renegade Jedi was someone this world felt it could trust. Had anyone remembered that the helpful Padawan's name had been Obi-Wan Kenobi, or had thought to find out the manner of Kenobi's death, perhaps it would have been different, but no one did. Troops were dedicated to the Vaders' cause, and set course for Bespin. If Palpatine had ever known about Melida/Daan, that knowledge had left him, and the ships went unimpeded.

The Gungans had not disappeared from the galaxy, and they refused steadfastly to do so at any point in the future. Their numbers in the scattered exile were small, and few had dared to oppose Palpatine openly - Tarpals had been in the Rebellion, and might still be for all most of them knew, but he was a rarity - though they had been waiting for a chance to rise up. They had long ago recognized Amidala of the Naboo (only she among humans could be so mesmerizing, to the Gungan way of thinking), and puzzled greatly among themselves about what her presence might mean. Had the Naboo betrayed them again? Few had counted Palpatine's betrayal as Naboo, but Amidala was a different matter. So they had waited, and when the news came to them in their shadowed swamps, they understood and rejoiced. At last, the Naboo were keeping faith with them. It was time to go home. The leaders conferred among themselves, then raised the scarlet banner on what ships they could muster, and set out to the aid of their old allies.

On Coruscant, the upper echelons of the Empire weren't precisely loyal to Palpatine, but they knew that Vader was likely to clamp down on what he termed "corruption" fairly quickly, and the strike would not be merciful. In theory, they put their resources at the Emperor's disposal. In fact, most of them headed for their vacation barges, feeling a sudden urge to travel far from the capitol world. The troops stationed there prepared grimly for battle, but most of the soldiers preferred Vader to Palpatine - when, after all, had the Emperor flown into a battle and risked himself with the front line fighters? So they prepared as ordered, but their hearts weren't set on winning.

"And so it ends," Obi-Wan's form said, glimmering at the edge of the swamp.

"Told you, I did, that we should not train the boy."

"Which one?"

"With both, I told you. Too impatient, too reckless."

"And now, all hope is lost."

Yoda's face softened. "No, not all. Always hope there is, though see I cannot from where the light will shine next."

"Perhaps still among them... the love they bear one another is real, and it may... "

But Yoda was shaking his head. "Always real has their love been, but staved off the darkness, it has not. Secure and content in their small world are they, and lost have they become to the greater good, or even the greater truth. A believer, she is. Come to doubt, she will not, unless she is made to see."

"How do we do that?"

"We cannot."

Of these things, little news reached Bespin, as the powers of the galaxy converged on it.

"Lord Vader, her Ladyship's shuttle is arriving. I took the liberty of sending a TIE escort; Palpatine's fleet is getting too close."

Vader looked over Piett's shoulder at the viewport from the bridge of the Executor, and saw the tiny speck that was Amidala's shuttle. Luke was with her. Confused and unsure, but there. "Well done, Admiral," he said absently. Piett had earned the praise and his position, but Vader's mind was not on any member of his staff.

He'd felt a lurch in the Force some thirty minutes ago, and he knew that something had gone wrong. Not Luke - Luke was with Amidala, possibly the safest place in the Empire at the moment. Something had gone wrong with Leia. He'd tried to contact the garrison, but no one had answered the summons. Someone would pay for that, but he could not go back to Cloud City now.

Palpatine had moved more slowly than he'd expected after the asteroid field, but the blow was beginning to fall. Already, they'd seen the scout ships. Comm was tracking fifteen Star Destroyers and three troop transports. The battle would be fought here.

"Lord Vader?"

"I do not wish to be disturbed, Admiral."

Piett didn't take the implied order. "My lord," he said, "I apologize for disturbing your meditation, but I've received tactical news from... allies."

"Allies?"

"Various worlds have pledged support to her Ladyship, and four are sending ships and soldiers."

A strange feeling rose in Vader's mind. It was familiar, but had long lain dormant.

Hope.

He'd known, to some extent, that word was getting out. Once they'd made their presence in Cloud City public, several of the City guards had let word out. One had heard Piett address Amidala as "Your Majesty," and that had been enough. Much of the galaxy had been indulging in fantasies of Amidala's rule; a whisper of it had been enough to set them to arms. Good. Palpatine would not be counting on that. He had known enough to be threatened by Amidala, but so far, he had still been underestimating her.

The speck that was the shuttle broke the atmosphere, and the speed doubled. A moment later, comm reported that they were requesting permission to dock.

"Permission granted," Vader said. "And Admiral, prepare a High Welcome."

There was dead silence on the bridge, then Piett straightened his shoulders and said, "Yes, my Lord." Then, for the first time in Vader's career in the Empire, the bridge officers broke into spontaneous applause.

The welcome was arranged quickly, but it looked neat enough. All the officers who could be spared were arrayed in straight lines in the docking bay, and Vader and Piett stood at their head as the shuttle glided in. When the gangplank lowered, they knelt.

Vader was not sure he could have remained standing anyway. He could feel Amidala, as always - she was surprised, perhaps bemused - but Luke's presence, so near suddenly, was overwhelming. His feelings were strong. Vader willed himself to raise his head.

His first clear view of his son went like a dagger to his heart. The boy had his own eyes, but Amidala's lithe build and delicate features. He moved lightly and seemed to think deeply.

The edge of Amidala's gown swirled across his knee. "Please rise, my Lord. Admiral."

"As you wish... your Majesty."

She smiled.

The veils had been lifted. He hadn't noticed it before. "Your Majesty, perhaps... "

"I have not chosen yet, my Lord. May I present our son, Luke?"

Vader straightened and looked his son in the eye. "It is my profound honor, my son." Luke swallowed hard, taking in the room full of Imperial officers with obvious trepidation. He had been in the Rebellion for three years. But Vader would not allow him to remain disturbed by the presence of those who were his own people now. He struck a deliberately confrontational tone. "Does something trouble you?"

Luke steadied himself - Vader felt the shift in the Force as he used a Jedi centering technique - and squared his shoulders. "I'm just... disoriented. "He blinked rapidly, swallowed hard, and added, "Father."

Vader was unable to answer for nearly a full minute. The sound of the word on the boy's tongue brought an uncontrollable rush of feeling, and it took time to understand it. This is the role I was born for. The head of my family.

It made him stand even straighter than he normally did.

He looked at Piett. "Admiral, you are dismissed to return to your duties. Assign the officers as you see fit, and continue tracking the progress of Palpatine's fleet. Keep me apprised of developments."

"The fleet?" Amidala asked.

"Yes." Vader slowed, and made room for Luke to walk between them. "I would rather that we could set aside some time to become accustomed to one another, but there is a great deal occurring."

Abruptly, as if to prove his point, a bright light flashed outside the viewport, and a TIE fighter disappeared.

Amidala's eyes widened. "Where is Leia?"

Slowly. Answer s