Rescue for a Sith Princess

Chapter 4

After her punishment from Emperor Palpatine, Leia was sent back to her chambers for the evening. She collapsed on her bed, still shaky and in a lot of pain from the lightning Palpatine shot through her system. Leia dreaded what kind of training she would be subjected to tomorrow. 

She tried to feel angry at the Emperor, straining her senses to sum up rage. But all Leia felt was worthlessness. She thought she was doing so well and learning quickly. But the Emperor had struck her down in a moment, scolding her on her lack of progress. And those two stormtroopers had witnessed the embarrassment happen. 

Leia wiped frantically at the tears streaming down her face. "Stop it, Leia! Sith don't cry! Crying is weak!" But her frustration had manifested and she couldn't stop sobbing. The room began to shake, her emotions materializing through the Force. 

"Sith don't cry! Sith don't cry!" She screamed over and over.

Unbeknownst to Leia, Darth Vader happened to pass by her room while this occurred. He halted for a moment, hearing his daughter crying and yelling at herself. An ache of pain went through a heart he thought he no longer had. If only she knew that he, the most powerful Sith, still cried almost every night about the loss of his wife.

Vader shook his head and continued walking, pushing his feelings aside. The Dark Side was his life now. He had no more room for love.

~~~

Still in their stormtrooper disguises, Han and Luke slumped into two chairs inside the control room they stumbled upon.

"What are we going to do?" Luke asked, defeat lacing his tone. "It was hard enough rescuing a princess. Now we have to rescue a Sith."

Han looked at Luke grimly. "Yeah, I know." 

"Did you see her face, Han? After the Emperor punished her?"

He sighed. "Yeah, kid. I'll never forget it."

"I think we can help her; she looked so afraid. I don't think she's too far gone, and I don't think she truly wants to be here."

Han got up and started pacing around the room. "How are we supposed to turn someone from the Dark Side? We're not even Jedi!"

"Well, I-"

"Save it kid, you're not a Jedi yet," Han grumbled.

All of a sudden, Luke's comlink turned on. "Luke? Luke, are you there? Are you all right?"

"Ben? Yeah, we're all right. We're in control room 21HG. Come quick, we have to talk to you."

"Do you have the princess? I've disabled the tractor beam," Obi-Wan replied.

Luke gulped. "Um...no. That's what we need to talk to you about."

After a brief silence on Obi-Wan's end, he said, "I'll be right there."

Luke set his comlink down and threw himself back into his chair. Han let out an exasperated breath.

"Great, now the old man has the tractor beam deactivated but we have no princess! This day keeps getting better and better..." Han complained.

After ten more minutes of sighing from Han and nervous pacing from Luke, Obi-Wan showed up in the control room.

"What happened? Why can't we find the princess?"

Han and Luke both shared a glance before Han continued, "Here's the thing. We found the princess, but she isn't...um...herself right now."

Obi-Wan looked to Luke for more information. "She's a Sith, Ben," Luke spoke in a hoarse whisper. "She turned to the Dark Side."

The old Jedi Master stumbled backwards slightly and placed a hand over his heart. "A Sith? Princess Leia? No, it can't be..."

"I mean, she isn't fully trained yet," Han cut in. "We saw her training with Vader and the Emperor. But she's definitely turned."

"But she's in a lot of pain! The Emperor tortured her when she wasn't showing progress, and I can tell she wants to get out," Luke said.

Obi-Wan sat down, taking in all of the information he had received. After a long time, he muttered, "We must tell Bail Organa. I must tell Bail Organa."

~~~

A fuzzy, blue image of the viceroy appeared before Obi-Wan. He was alone in a different room, not ready to tell his friend of his daughter's fate.

"Obi-Wan, what news do you have? Have you found Leia? Is she all right?"

Obi-Wan could sense the panic and desperation in Bail's voice and his heart sunk.

"We have located Leia and she is alive. However, something has happened to her," Obi-Wan began.

Bail cringed. "What is it? What have they done to her?"

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and continued, "It appears that your daughter has turned to the Dark Side."

Bail gasped and his hand flew over his mouth. "What? That's not possible, she is strong, loyal to the Rebellion. She would never turn." Obi-Wan could hear Bail's voice quavering as he fought tears. "My little girl? My Leia? No, it's not possible."

"I'm so sorry, my friend. I don't know how or when it happened, but all I know is that your daughter is training with Darth Vader in the ways of the Sith." The Jedi fought back tears himself as he spoke the words. Half of the galaxy's hope, seduced by the Dark Side.

"Does she know? About her heritage?" Bail asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't believe so. I'm not sure if Vader himself is aware."

Bail held his head in his hands. "How will we save her? What can we do?"

"I fear that Leia has already become quite powerful. But Luke senses good in her. Perhaps he could make her return to the Light," Obi-Wan postulated. "But we can't allow him to confront her unarmed. Only a Jedi can face her."

"Will you face her then?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "I cannot, I must confront Vader. Leia is certainly not safe until Vader is defeated."

"There are no other Jedi."

The Jedi Master smiled. "We have Luke."

Bail stared at Obi-Wan in disbelief. "But he is not a fully-trained Jedi!"

"I will return to Alderaan with Luke and train him. Soon, he will be able to confront Leia."

"What if he can't turn her? What if he is defeated?"

"Then Leia is lost to the Dark Side."

With even more fear in his voice, Bail said, "And if he defeats her..."

"She dies."

Bail sighed with worry. "We are taking many risks here, Obi-Wan."

"I am aware. But that boy is our last hope."

A small smile formed on Bail's face. "Do you remember when they were born? How perfect they were? Little lights of hope in a very dark time for the galaxy. I never thought this would happen."

Obi-Wan's eyes watered at the memory. "The ways of the Force are mysterious. But I still believe they are the hope for this galaxy. Both of them."