‘It's not over yet.’

‘No, for me —’

"How are you faring?" The Inquisitor stood at the door, arms crossed, with a poker face that was bored. She faced downward, embarrassed by her release of emotions. Her eyes still itched from her sobbing and her cheeks were puffed.

"What does it look like?" she said, her voice hoarse and quiet. Her gaze was fixed on the blue and white streaks of hyperspace, her head supported by her palm.

"Makes sense," he commented after seeing her state. "But it is pitiful for you to express such emotions for someone who just used you."

"Take that back!" she snapped, punching her fists on the table.

He blinked for a moment, keeping his stare at her and backed away. He looked at her with the most condescending look, like she was insane. No, not insane, but stupid, unbelievably stupid.

"If you want to keep thinking that way, it is fine. After all you were his slave. Now speak to your father." He slammed his hand before her, and made his point. He then clutched his shoulder from the sudden pain caused by the movement. He took a few deep breaths to tolerate it. Glaring at her for the last time, he left. 

She watched the clump of brown hairball leave the room, wishing to stab a knife through it.

No way in hell would she speak to her father, who assisted the killing of Darth Sidious, her lord. It was unfortunate that he was successful and to be throned Emperor. She knew that she had made the correct choice. She would have not minded if Vader had been the receiving end of that blaster. He had abandoned her, and subjected her to her tortures.

Those words the Thirteenth Brother had uttered made her feel sick. Used her? If he did, why would he tolerate her first few years of being a baby? She herself had found babies' continuous crying annoying. Only a father or a mother could have enough patience for their own child, and some even abandon them, just like, her father.

No way that Palpatine had just used her. That could not be a possibility. He had praised her, trained her with passion, and told her stories of the galaxy. He even scolded her like a proper parent would. He was a great parent, while Vader was irresponsible, ignoring her even when she was in one of her painful days.

Not one visit from him when she was isolated on Korriban...

Her head whipped to the door when she heard a metallic knock and glared. Vader stood tall, clad in black, this time his hood down, allowing her to see his full face. She felt sadness and sorrow being emitted from him. She raised an eyebrow; his eyes were blue. Where was his hatred and anger?

With a deep frown on his lips, he painfully dragged himself a chair to sit next to her. Why was he here? She laid her head on the surface and hid her face with her hands.

Ignore him. All of her suffering was caused by this man and yet, he continues to remain in her life.

‘Get out!’ She wanted to scream at him, but he was the Dark Lord of the Sith now. He was under the Emperor when she had first arrived. If she dare utter a single word of defiance, she would get it from him. That was how it worked with Palpatine; you could say that flogging gave her a sense of respect for him.

The father and the daughter sat there for long minutes in silence.

Vader kept his head down, his broken hand casted and bandages patched on his face. He would be lying if he didn't feel any sort of emotional pain when he killed him, but when he saw his wretched face, that pain disappeared away.

For Leia, it was different. This was a man who had took care of her for nineteen years, while he was busy sieging the galaxy. He cursed Palpatine for taking away his previous time with her, her precious childhood and her innocence. He had raised her in the wrong way, but regardless of that...there was always this question.

"Why do you hate me so, my daughter?" It slipped from his mouth and he nearly slapped himself, for reducing his dialogue nearly twenty years. He really wanted to know — what made her loathe him with such a passion?

"...Isn't it obvious?" she stated after a pause, her features hardening. "We are Sith, we hate."

He sighed at that generic reply. "You know that's not what I meant."

Tears welled up in her eyes once again. She dug her face deeper into her arms, her voice muffled. He understood her feelings and judged that she was an emotional one, but he was like her years ago.

He decided against patting her back to console her; that would just make it worse, but he will definitely tell her the truth. He hated that Sidious manipulated her even after death. That son of a b*tch!

"Leia, stop crying." Having no experience, his attempts of verbal consolation were failures.

She continued shedding her tears, ignoring his every word. She faced away and added more distance between them.

"Stop it!" he yelled out, rather harshly and slapped her across her face. "I've been soft this whole time, but now I'll act like a proper Sith and a father. Stop pitying yourself, it will just make life more miserable for you than you already think it is."

She flinched at the gesture and rubbed her cheek. Anger started to seep in between the grief and sadness. Her eyebrows twitched as she clenched her jaws.

"Who are you to tell me that?!" she snapped. "You have never been there for me! You left me behind on Korriban; left me to face those punishments and tortures alone. You think I liked it with Palpatine? He was the only one I had left to rely on. He was the only one who cared for me. Not you! You were nowhere! So stop pretending and get out of my life."

Leia was a breathing mess after she releases her payload of all her emotions that she had suppressed. She closed her eyes; punishment was inevitable. Her body language all pointed that she had given up. It is the will that drives people, and she had no more of that.

Vader's features hardened. Her stubbornness aroused his annoyance, and he was tempted to repeat the rough action just before. This girl had been through much, she had to get used to this. He noticed how lonely his daughter was, just like him when his mother had died. He had adapted to it and she must too.

He understood her pain, the loneliness, the depression and the metaphorical chains that bounded her. It crushed unimaginably, bringing him back to his past.

"Look up," he commanded and she obeyed. "Be proud that we have eliminated our slaver. Even though you were opposed to us, you did well."

She continued sniffing, unmoved by his words. Without thinking, he stretched out his arms and engulfed her into a gesture of affection. She was his daughter; she needed his help.

Leia, on the other hand, was filled with perplexion. Her body felt stiff, unused to such compassionate action. She grimaced at the gesture. It was stiff, uncomfortable and alien but it felt... warm. She shook away that feeling once her sense of duty came to.

A hug? What the hell? It was a gesture of love, a thing that Sith have loathed for their entire lifetime. Love was against the Sith code. Why was the Dark Lord doing this? More importantly, why were tears coming out for this? She pushed him away, harshly.

"Don't think I have forgiven you for leaving," she growled.

Vader narrowed his eyes. This attitude was exactly why he was perturbed. He bluntly stated, "Palpatine used you for his own ends. He stole you from me. That is why he isolated you, subjected you to those tortures, and made you think he was a kind old man."

"No, that was you," she replied, pointing a sharp finger at him. "If you hadn't left me there, I wouldn't have been this."

There was no convincing this girl. She was adamant that he was responsible for her pain and he felt guilty too. If he had just been on his guard those years ago, perhaps she would've bern raised properly like a lady, kept away from the battlefield. He would lie that he didn't feel hurt being replaced by that old man. The rage towards Palpatine still burned in him, even after the latter's death, especially since he couldn't defeat him alone.

"Leia, know that I care for you, my child," he sighed, letting his soft side 'leak' for a moment. "At least put this in your thoughts: would he have cared for you the same way, if you were just ordinary?"

He walked out of the room, mentally promising her that he would be a better father than Palpatine ever was.

"If course he would..." she mumbled.

Leia hugged her knees. In truth, she had seen Sidious' rotten side, but being the loyal daughter she was, she refused to accept that. She knew that she would have been killed, by an Inquisitor's or her father's hand if she was ordinary. Of course, he used her. Of course, she was spared only because of her affinity to the Force. But that was better than being abandoned. 

"Then I'd suggest you choose the person you want to be with and trust completely." The kind smile flashed in her mind. It was nostalgic and 'pierced' her mind, bringing out her deep emotions.

‘Mother...’ she cried out from within her soul. This longing had been suppressed inside since her childhood.

“There's no use lingering in the past,” the woman, whose bond was fading away, spoke in her mind. “Like I said, ‘this is not over.’ Anakin Skywalker is your father. Palpatine is just a cheap duplicate of what a father could be, as harsh it may seem to you. Remember love is not a weakness, it gives you strength. All of this is the will of the Force.”

The bond snapped.

The Thirteenth Brother, Darth Vader and the Oracle had tried to persuade her that she had been on the wrong side this whole time. She knew why, and yet she refused to let it sink in to avoid being hurt. Her conscience too, told her that it was time to let that go.

The mist of hatred started to fade in her mind. She stopped her sobbing and accepted the fact.

Palpatine was a rotten man to the core, using people only for his advantage. That is what led to the dissatisfaction towards the Empire and started this Civil War. She rated Vader no better, but at least he was much more gentle. Regardless of this, it was time to accept that he was her father and be the faithful daughter she had always been.

‘Sidious, I'm thankful for caring for me. For acting like a parent for me, and for ensuring that I grew up. I have always contempted you but I have never hated you. And for that, I am a failure to you. This is farewell.’

‘Move on...’ she thought before wiping away more tears. That was painful.

****

The Inquisitor watched as Vader pranced around the room. His entire demeanor showed that he was stressed. Him becoming the new Emperor, stabilizing the galaxy and most importantly, get back his family.

"Master, relax," the Inquisitor tried to assure him. It was futile.

"There is no time for that," he spoke, though he was appreciative of the attempt. "It will be hard to maintain control over the galaxy, with the Death Star gone."

The Cathar shrugged and settled to take a seat. His entire body was sore, and he released a long breath once he rested. "So what now?"

Vader joined him on the sofa, thinking of a plan. The entire galaxy would rejoice once they receive the news of the Emperor's death. That man was selfish, aiming to please only himself. However, it was not like the people had appeal for him either. He brought them fear. He might have to use this factor.

"We try to maintain control," he said, turning on a hologram of the map of the galaxy. "The Outer Rim and Unknown Regions is in Rebel control while we still have Ilum, the Mid Rim and the Inner systems under ours."

"May I present a suggestion, master?"

"Yes?"

"Rather than ruling them with fear, why don't we coax them?" 

"I suppose that can be done," Vader mused, rubbing his chin. "The mass is emotionally driven, and fed up of the war. I propose that we influence of the crowd by gaining their sympathy. This will also result in the Rebel systems joining ours. After all, they are governed by democracy."

"It would be a better dictatorship under you," the Cathar acknowledged.

The older man hummed in response. This would be effective. There was this one problem: he was already not loved by everyone. He would have to raise his influence and popularity, otherwise, this plan would reach nowhere.

"Father."

The two men looked up at her from their discussion. The young woman stood at the door, slightly intimidated by their attention, mostly the younger. She stepped before Vader and bowed to her knees, her head lowered too.

"I accept you as my master and as the Dark Lord of the Sith. My life is yours," she monotonously stated.

Vader looked pleased by the development, but cringed at the last sentence. Nobody's life was property. However, the Inquisitor internally grumbled, the rivalry between them preventing him from taking this pleasurably. In response, he rolled his eyes and left the room.

****

All that wait, just for a filler and an abundance of italics.

But wait (again)! Character development! I want you guys to feel attached to these characters and understand their motives and feelings. I hope you enjoyed.

This was published on Divine Mercy Sunday (19/04/20) and I would like to remind the Catholics to please pray the Divine Mercy Rosary.

Keep on looking forward to the next chapter.
_____

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
(Ephesians 6:1-4)