Chapter Text
Leia now understood why Naboo had been so obsessed with the Senator. She was the perfect leader. Compassionate but decisive. Kind but not naive. The few reports of her that had survived in the holonet did not do the woman justice.
Leia had watched as Padme started her rehabilitation process with the ferocity she didn’t imagine someone who had been unconscious for 20 years to regain so quickly. By the fourth day, she was walking on her own. A little unsteady at times, but in less than a week, she had become an active member of the alliance.
Mon and Padme were clearly old friends. Being one of Palpatine’s original critics, Mon offered her the choice to serve on the high command. And Padme had accepted it gracefully. She had then requested Leia to get her any and all information regarding everything that had happened in the last 20 years.
A gargantuan request. But one she was happy to oblige. She had been going through many old documents anyway since Vader’s defection. She didn’t see the harm in allowing their newest leader access to the same.
And Padme used it exhaustively. Between her treatment and the time she spent in her room, desk holding row after row of datapads (chronologically, she was told when she went to check on the Senator once.), Leia wondered how she was coping with the exhaustion. Nothing was too mundane for her. From senate transcripts to Imperial logs, she consumed any and all information Leia could get her. After a few meetings with the high command, Padme had somehow grasped 20 years' worth of politics and war in a week.
Leia wondered what she must have been like in her youth. Not that she wasn’t determined now. While Padme was on par with the high command in terms of information now, she was not bogged down with the weariness and caution that had seeped into the high command members over the many years they had spent fighting this war. Leia herself often found it an inconvenience. She respected them all immensely, but they needed to do something. It was time to start fighting.
Leia hoped the sudden appearance of Padme would be the catalyst that they all needed.
After Padme seemed satisfied with her understanding of the galaxy, she started researching Vader.
Suddenly, Leia could see that perhaps it wasn’t just Luke who was now hoping to ‘save’ Vader.
“How can you still see him as your husband?” Leia asked.
She had come to Padme’s room to drop off the files she had requested on Vader. A long list of atrocities is essential.
Padme looked at her for some time before answering.
“I am not saying there are any explanations or excuses for what he has done. Neither will there ever be any real forgiveness from the galaxy. And the only thing I can forgive him for is all I have forgiven him for. But I intend to stay with him and help him atone. There is…a lot more to his story, Leia. One that both I and Kenobi know. And we both think there is a chance for him to return. Perhaps not as the Hero with no fear; I doubt he would take kindly to that title. He always complained of it during the Clone Wars. But Vader and Anakin aren’t as mutually exclusive as the Jedi believe.” Padme replied.
Leia hadn’t realised how insufferable she must have sounded like to others when she truly believed in something until she met Padme.
She wasn’t just a fool blindly in love with a monster. She seemed to understand Vader (rather, Anakin, as Padme insisted.) well. Know why he is who he is. And both Luke and her were determined to lead or, if needed, drag Vader back to the right side of this fight.
Leia let the topic go. She had resigned to do the same with Luke as well. If mother and son were so hell-bent on saving Vader, perhaps they could. Vader’s behaviour had been erratic at best recently so she didn’t put anything past the dark lord at this point.
“Alright. For the record, it's you and Luke who I trust. Not Vader.” Leia said, setting down the datapads she was carrying.
“Thank you, Leia. Both for all the help you have given and the vote of confidence.” Padme replied, smiling at her yet again with those curiously sad eyes. Her face and voice betrayed nothing more than friendly affection. But Padme’s eyes always looked sad when she looked at Leia.
And Leia couldn’t quite understand why. Of everyone on base, with the exception of Luke, Han, Obi-wan and Mon, Padme was the only person who didn’t treat Leia like she was made of glass. So why did the Senator look so utterly devastated every time she looked at Leia?
Then Leia suddenly remembered the other reason she was here. How could she have forgotten this?
“Vader has been off all his meds for a few hours now, by the way. He should be awake as soon as they wear off.” Leia said, knowing Padme had been waiting for this.
The sadness in her eyes disappeared suddenly and was replaced with a kind of determination Leia had never seen before.
“Right. I am going then.” Padme declared, suddenly getting up.
“What now? He probably wouldn’t be awake for hours.” Leia said, startled at the sudden shift in energy.
Padme laughed with more fondness than what Leia thought appropriate for any conversation related to Vader before replying.
“He was never a big fan of med bays. He would be gone the second he could walk.” Padme said, a small smile on her face as they walked down to the Med Bay,
Leia had decided at some point to follow her despite having no interest in seeing the man.
At the med bay, they were on their way to where Vader was supposed to be and instead were met by an irritated-looking Dr.Cullis. She spotted them and immediately stormed towards them. Leia didn’t have to guess who her source of irritation was.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Padme asked as the doc reached them.
“We didn’t even know when his demonic lordship left. He took his IV and disappeared to god knows where.” the doc replied, exasperated at having her authority so openly defied.
“Should he be here any longer for any medical reasons?” Padme questioned, sighing.
“No. And tell Vader not to bother coming back if he has no intention of staying alive. I have patients who don’t have a death wish to care for.” Dr.Cullis said, walking away.
“I’ll let him know.” Padme replied, sounding tired, before turning to Leia.
“Any idea as to where he could have gone? I assume he intends to stay on base?” She asked.
“That is what he last said. He said he’ll stay on his ship. So perhaps there?” Leia guessed. Who knows what the maniac is going to do next? Since the alarms in the base hadn’t started going off, she assumed he was still an ally.
“Would you mind telling me where it is? I don’t want to keep you away from your duties any longer.” Padme offered, likely wanting to spare Leia from having to meet her deranged husband.
“I am coming with you. I know you trust him. I, however, don’t. Follow me.” Leia replied, turning the offer down. Leia guessed Vader wouldn’t harm her, considering the extent to which he had gone to save her. But he was known to be homicidal, more often than not, rather than kind.
Padme seemed to see her resolve and just followed her as she led them to the hangar. As soon as they were within earshot of the hanger, she knew they had found him. The usual hustle and bustle of the hanger was gone.
Her hunch was proven right as they entered the hanger and saw Vader going up the ramp of his ship.
Truth be told, Leia had thought his ship would be defaced beyond recognition by now. But to her surprise, the fear Vader spread, even when asleep, was enough of a deterrent to the troops.
They quickened their pace to catch him before he closed the ramp.
“Not betraying us, I hope, Lord Vader,” Leia called out when they were within talking distance. He was already inside the ship and by either bravery or stupidity, Leia walked up the ramp to follow him, tailed by Padme.
“I am not exactly on the Emporer’s guest list at the moment, Princess Organa.” came the scathing reply. He hadn’t turned to look at them yet, clearly not expecting to be ambushed quite so soon after his release.
Leia was about to tell him he wasn’t precisely on theirs either as he turned around to face them, but the sudden look of panic that washed over Vader’s face left her momentarily dumbstruck.
The mere idea of Vader panicking was too absurd to consider. But here he was, staring at the woman behind her, petrified.
He looked at her like she was some ghost that would disappear if he said or did the wrong thing. Like was terrified this was somekind of nightmare he was stuck in.
Leia didn’t get to offer any snarky remarks regarding the dark lord’s stupified expression, though, as she watched Padme pass by her like a fast shadow and punch Vader across the face. The ship rank with a disturbing crack on impact, and the next second, she was staring at Vader on the floor, still seemingly petrified.
It took Leia what felt like an eternity to process what had just happened. She had expected acts of violence from Vader. Not Padme.
She didn’t stay to find out how Vader reacted as she turned around and started following Padme, who had already almost made it to the hangar doors.
As she ran slightly to catch up with her, she called out to make Padme wait.
“Wait, wait, hold on. I thought you said you forgive him for…whatever he did to you.” Leia asked as she fell into step with Padme.
“Forgiving him and slapping him across the face are not mutually exclusive. Hopefully, it snapped him back to reality.” Padme replied, sounding oddly satisfied with herself.
“That might have been more than just a slap. Not that I am complaining, but that definitely was a lot more than just a slap, and it was incredible.” Leia replied, now slightly in awe of her. Clearly, Leia had misjudged Padme and Vader’s relationship. They were equals in almost every way. Leia suspected Padme, in fact, likely had a much stronger hold on Vader than anyone on the base realised, perhaps with the exception of Kenobi.
Padme grimaced a little.
“I didn’t expect it to be so strong. Perhaps I did go a little overboard.” She said, the slight concern colouring her voice evident despite her light tone.
Leia scoffed.
“He deserved a lot more than that. He’s lucky no one has killed him yet.” Leia mumbled. It was true. Now that the Sith lord was actually walking around amongst the troops, she expected them to try every way possible to cut his life short.
The concern was that he would have a higher success rate retaliating against the troops.
Unlike the Empire, they didn’t have idiots in uniforms to spare.
Padme just chuckled at that. She, too, knew the odds of Vader being killed were low.
“When do you think Mon will call for a meeting with him? It's about time we started analysing whatever information he said he had.” Padme said, suddenly back to business.
It was true. Vader has promised them information and they were on borrowed time as it is. With Vader and Piett no longer actively hiding them, the Empire would find them soon enough.
“Soon, if I had to guess. We should let her know Vader is up and about already.” Leia replied, starting to walk towards the situation room where Mon usually was.
They had to hope Vader really was on their side.