Divided Loyalties

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Vader led his Lord and Master across the Executor, praising the officers' professionalism and the quality of the systems of navigation and defence. He felt disturbed as if an unstoppable hazard was hovering above him and his children. He was aware that said danger had Darth Sidious' demonic face, but he didn't know how to fight it.

He couldn't get rid of his master. He couldn't destroy who had saved him from the fire, from the hell of Mustafar. He couldn't break his loyalty towards the Emperor because of two kids who, until proven otherwise, had fought him with hate.

Again Darth Vader was lacerated by doubts and anguish. A part of him was about to tell Palpatine that he had captured Luke Skywalker and princess Organa, that he was ready to make them join the darkness and to kill them, if necessary.

But what was that block in his throat which was preventing him from expressing the truth? Was it Leia's peaceful face as she slept like a baby? Was it Luke's fragile form in his arms during that first embrace?

Vader didn't know what it was, but it kept the Sith's mouth firmly shut during the whole trip.

~~~

"Do you think he'll hand us to the Emperor?".

Leia was worried, as one could easily guess thanks to her shaky voice and unquiet eyes. If her father left her to Palpatine, she would die or every thought and ideal in her mind would be cancelled.

Luke stopped looking at his trembling hands and met Leia's eyes. He didn't know how to react: it was clear the Vader was going through an internal fight, but which part was going to win?

"I don't think he'll betray us" he said softly. "On... on Bespin... he invited me to join him in order to destroy the Emperor. Deep inside, he doesn't want to follow Sidious. He hates him".

Leia nodded her head, but didn't listen to her brother completely. Every single thing which had happened on that cursed clouded planet looked different from what she was seeing right now.

First Vader had gotten Han tortured. Now he was looking at Leia while she was sleeping (she had noticed everything, of course). First he had cut off her brother's hand. Now he was helping him heal after the torture. First he had destroyed Alderaan. Now he was offering the girl a place to live.

Maybe, now that she had pondered it, she had understood the contradiction Luke was talking about. Vader was divided in two, and it was their role to help the best part prevail.

Now she had to go and help her brother recover, to make him understand that she agreed with him. She was determined to get Anakin back.

Luke smiled softly to the nothing as he felt Leia's arms wrap around him and her head lean on his shoulder.

"I think I get what you mean. About our father" the girl murmured with a soft smile.

Luke hugged her back, holding her strongly against his chest. Maybe, together, they would be able to break Anakin Skywalker free from that black prison everyone called Vader.

The masked Sith came back to his quarters a few hours later. To Luke and Leia's relief, he wasn't escorted by that collage of dead skin that ruled the galaxy.

"Where's Palpatine?" Leia asked suspiciously. Of course, her fear was still there. Vader could have already told everything to the Emperor.

The Sith Lord shook his head in denial before sitting beside his children.
"I do not want to hand you to the Emperor" he declared. "I would like you to join me, but if you refuse, I will not kill you. He - on the other hand - would...".

The two siblings held their breath until Vader concluded the sentence.

"I do not want to lose you" the Sith muttered, his head low and his fingers intertwined.

Luke smiled widely at such a heartfelt declaration, feeling through the Force that not only his father was telling the truth, but he was also trying to protect him and his sister from Sidious' grasp.
The sensation was splendid. It was something that a much younger Luke on Tatooine had dreamt for years. Obviously he hadn't ever assumed his father was a Sith Lord, but the emotion was the same.

"Thank you" the youth said after a few seconds as he leant his flesh hand on Vader's shoulder. Leia joined them as well and sat close to her father in order to make him feel her support.

Vader's dark heart swelled. Luke and Leia cared... he couldn't resist the urge of holding them close. He felt strangely good in that position, with his children's heads on his chest.

He didn't move for a good minute when he remembered something very important. He stood up and put one hand on Leia's shoulder.

"The problem is that Sidious already knows about you two, and he will try to destroy you with all his might" he said. "Leia, this is why I think you should learn something about the ways of the Force".

The girl's eyes widened as she tried to process the new piece of information. Of course, as a Skywalker, she had to be Force sensitive, but she hadn't ever thought about becoming a Jedi. Probably it would be essential in a fight against Sidious... but knowing the Light Side would certainly lead her to be tempted by the Dark as well.

What if she wasn't strong enough? Would she become a monstrous creature, just like the Emperor? Would she hurt her friends from the Rebellion? Would she kill her brother and her beloved Han?

The mere thought disgusted her and made her refuse her father's suggestion.

Leia's firm 'no' disheartened Luke, who was sure that his sister would have learnt the ways of the Force gladly.

"Why not?" he pleaded, fearing for her health more than ever. An image of Leia in a duel suddenly appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but wonder how his sister would be able to face a fight like the one in which he had arrived just inches from death on Bespin.

He rapidly shook that disturbing thought off and tried to persuade Leia - something that was almost impossible.

"Please, Leia, trust me..." he said softly. "What would you do if you were attacked without any chance to defend yourself? Do you know what you could have to face?".

Despite being touched by her brother's words, the girl shook her head.
"I could be more vulnerable in front of the Dark Side" she murmured.

This time Vader stepped in with words that surprised everyone, himself included.
"Any temptation is less powerful for a trained mind, my child" he said.

Leia stopped to look at him for a moment before answering.

"I'll think about it" she decided.

Hello!!! After the long Whumptober pause, I'm finally back! I hope you still remember about this story XD
I missed this!