Narrator's POV

"Anakin, I'm incredibly sorry this happened. I cannot imagine what you and Senator Amidala must be endearing at the moment," comforts Obi-Wan through his comlink to Anakin, who was jumping through hyperspace to return to Coruscant.

Obi-Wan had never really been too good at comforting. He was assuring, but comforting wasn't his speciality.

Anakin sighs. "I didn't think you would be able to, Master," he heaves under his breath, swerving the fighter into the Coruscanti atmosphere.

He had been calling Obi-Wan 'Master' for quite a while, even after he had been granted Master himself. Something about calling his former Master by the way he had been so used to addressing him was... comforting. Assuring, almost. It gave him a sense of purity that things might just be able to go back to how they were... someday.

"And, Anakin," starts Obi-Wan, sounding confused, "How do you assume you will be getting your daughter back? You know how confrontations with Demetrious go, it isn't... safe. Not necessarily, anyways."

Anakin jolts the fighter down into the Coruscanti traffic, heading quickly for the Temple. He ignores the multiple honks from Coruscant residents in the air with him and continues whirring past them, determined to reach the Temple immediately.

"I can't risk the Order knowing of them," Anakin breathes, "And my biggest fear is that Demetrious will be the one to expose them. Now that she has Leia, of course..." he says with another breath, sounding frustrated.

"I can imagine she would want to display her new apprentice to the galaxy," states Obi-Wan through the communicator, clearly not helping.

Anakin groans, "Ugh, Master, don't say it like that. I'll get her back, I know I will."

"Don't be so bold, Anakin," scolds Obi-Wan with a chuckle, "But I do believe you'll get her back... with time."

Anakin furrows his brows as he swerves lanes, receiving a honk or two from angry passerby's. "She's in the hands of Demetrious, who I don't trust one bit. She's my daughter, Master, I know I'm going to get her back. I have to."

Obi-Wan is silent for a moment. "I have faith in you, Anakin," he says at last. "Are you nearing the Temple?"

Anakin swerves past a speeder with an ugly-looking creature in it, who makes a fist at Anakin - he shakes it at him as he zooms by, making sure to slam the horn as well.

Anakin smirks at his reluctance to Coruscanti traffic rules and continues flying through the day at a steady pace. "Almost," he chuckles, remembering the look on the old creature's face as he cut him off from the lane.

Obi-Wan, being as serious and punctual as he was, simply breaks into a small smile. "I should expect to see you soon then, Anakin."

Anakin nods. "Will do. See you soon, Master." He disconnects from the comlink and grips the handles firmly, sliding over another lane and chuckling to himself at the reactions of the angry residents flying alongside him.

Then he remembered Leia, and his spirits dropped.

He couldn't think of who to imagine Leia being with; the sweet, bubbly Kyla, or the wicked, twisted Demetrious?

After all, if she were to be her apprentice, Demetrious would have to treat her right...

But she was so young.

He sighs to push the thoughts away and continues flying quickly through Coruscant, angering other speeders and fighters as he might. It was entertaining to him as he tried to imagine himself and Obi-Wan in the speeder, tracking the bounty hunter so many years ago. Was it really... nine years ago?

Time flies, he thinks, no pun intended as he flies past another speeder, cutting it off by the lane. The driver curses and scowls at Anakin, but he barely catches it as he speeds by.

Finally, he sees the Temple in the distance. He pulls his fighter out front and pops the hatch.

Obi-Wan stood directly outside, pacing around as he appeared to be waiting for Anakin.

Anakin groans as he hops out of the fighter, locking the hatch behind him. "Stay here, Artoo," he orders the astromech droid, "I won't be long."

He smiles to Obi-Wan, who smiles back under his beard. "Glad to see you're doing better than the last time I saw you."

He clearly referred to the other day, when Anakin felt a break in his connection to his twins, forcing him to leave the oblivious Council chamber.

Anakin raises his eyebrows and exhales. "The same level of desperation for my children, though, Master. Anyways, where were we?" He attempted at an abrupt conversational change, which Obi-Wan fell for.

"The Council. We're going to attempt another elimination of the Death Star."

Anakin looks shocked as the two Jedi trot up the staircase to the Temple. "Master, I... shouldn't I attempt to rescue Leia first?" Anakin asks, lowering his voice as they entered the stone Temple. He couldn't risk anyone hearing about his children...

"Our destruction attempt would work as a distraction, Anakin. From there, you can retrieve Leia, as I hope."

It was a good plan...

Anakin blinks and looks at his boots as they walk. "I'm sure it would make a good distraction, Master, but... I would like to be included in the destruction attempt, as you know."

"And you have been, in the past," Obi-Wan points out, reminding Anakin of the failed destruction attempts over the course of the past three years.

"What makes it any different now, Master? Of course I would still like to be included. Besides, if I'm not there, what is the Order going to expect I'm doing? I can't tell them about Leia, Master, you know that - "

"I know," Obi-Wan interrupts, glancing to his right at Anakin as they clicked down the stone hallway, "I'm completely aware of your... secrets. And I know quite well the Order cannot know of them, so I've decided to tell them that you will be attempting a search-through."

"A search-through?" Anakin asks shockingly. "On her main Imperial Crusier? Master, they'll think I'm out of my - "

"It's the best I can manage for now, Anakin," Obi-Wan calms, "And I haven't told them anything yet. Not without your consent, of course."

Anakin curls his upper lip and sighs. "Thank you, Master," he mumbles, though not sure if he should be thanking him... not yet.

They continue to walk at a rather quick pace until they reach the Council room. The two men enter and sit down as the meeting begins - discussing matters with the Death Star, and Anakin's excuse for not being able to participate in the mission...

• • •

"You have no right to argue with me, Commander," Demetrious growls at the Commander Clone that walks alongside her down the metal hallway, reaching the main control room where Leia was being watched by a Clone or two.

"I would never argue with you, My Lord," the Commander points out, fast-walking to catch up with her, "But I would say that your apprentice cannot be taught of the ways of the Sith until she is a bit... older."

He was truly lucky that helmet concealed him. The fear he would be radiating...

Demetrious clenches her robotic fist in the tight black glove she wore to hide it. A light from above and behind them shatters at the clenching of her fist, sending an impulsed reaction of the Force through her mechanical hand. Which she always thought was weird.

"Commander, I don't... advise that you argue with me any longer. You've seen what happens to those who go against my ways," she snarls, implying death for him. Wouldn't be too hard to find a new Commander she trusted, would it?

But something was different in this Commander. It was as though he had such limited fear, that he could be upfront with her now, and even... argue with her. It wasn't the ways of her Clones; they don't ask questions. They don't argue. They are simply there, there for assistance, there for everything she needed around her Empire.

"I - I'm sorry, My Lord. It won't happen again," he states, his voice containing that muffled accent that all the Clones seemed to have, sounding like they had a voicebox under their armor. Demetrious considered it annoying, but she kept it to herself.

"You're right, Commander, it won't," she snaps through gritted teeth, turning the corner into the open control room door.

She notices one of the Clones interacting with Leia, who sat atop a metal desk, laughing as the Clone acted foolishly in front of her with his armor.

"How is she doing?" asks Demetrious, only for the sake of her apprentice.

The Clone snaps out of whatever he was doing and stands straight and tall, stuttering to stay caught up with her words. "Er - good, My Lord. She seems to have already grasped basic Force knowledge."

"Good..." hums Demetrious wickedly, nearing the girl. "Commander, General - I suggest you return to the hangar. Prepare the ships for the Dantooine invasion coverage," she states proudly.

The Clones leave with swift nods and shut the glass door behind them with that air soft swoosh - music to Demetrious' ears.

She nears the little girl, who had stopped her giggling and now was playing with her dark hair, tugging on any lock of it she could reach with her chubby arms.

"Hi, Leia," says Demetrious as calmly as she could, hoping she could appeal to the child as... Kyla. The girl she met.

Leia cocks her head and giggles. "I know you," she states, "You're daddy's friend!"

Demetrious cringes. "Y-Yes, I am."

"Kyla!" the girl chirps, seeming proud of herself for remembering.

Demetrious cringes again, clenching her fists to keep herself from hitting something. She kneels by the desk and puts her gloved hand up on the girl's knee. "I don't go by Kyla anymore," she winces at the sound of her old name, "You can call me... Master."

"Master?" Leia giggles and touches her hand on top of Demetrious' gloved hand on her knee. "That's a funny name. That's what you used to call daddy."

How could she remember all this? She and Luke were so young...

"I did used to call your father that," Demetrious remembers, her voice somehow sounding sad, "But now it's your turn to call me that. Can you do that, Leia?"

The girl wrinkles her nose and giggles again. "Okay," she says with a reassuring smile. "But where's my mommy and daddy? Are they here?"

Demetrious glances at the metal floor, then back up at her apprentice. "No, they're - not."

"Where are they?"

Demetrious hated having to keep things from her apprentice like this. But she would have to - the girl was young, clueless. Though Force-sensitive...

"Not here right now. But you'll see them soon," she lied.

She was being too soft with the girl - maybe it was just because she was three years old. She was just a child, and children had certain affects on the most wicked of people... Demetrious included.

She tried to be the vicious, hardcore ruler she was, but this girl made her feel differently. Maybe she should've gotten Luke instead.

But it was too late now.

Suddenly, a Clone walks in, a tracker in hand. Demetrious rises at his entrance, and brushes her dark cloak off.

"My Lord," he starts, showing her the tracker as he nears, "It appears Skywalker has returned to Coruscant."

At the sound of her last name, Leia perks up. "That's me!" She calls out, holding her hand in the air.

Demetrious glances at the girl, then back at the Clone. What could be doing back on Coruscant? He's smart enough to know not to come looking for his daughter... right?

She swallows hard, contemplating whether to let her anger and confusion show. She knows better. "Very well. Thank you." Demetrious nods coldly at the Clone, who then nods back heavily and leaves.

Demetrious turns back to the girl. The girl smiles at her, and for a moment, Demetrious feels there is some good in herself... but she shudders, and the thought passes. She hated that this happened all the time - couldn't she go for awhile without feeling as though she still had part of Kyla within her?

• • •

Padmé combed her son Luke's hair, humming to him as she did so. The night on Naboo was peaceful, as mostly, but there was tension between her and her son. They knew there was trouble brewing only planets away...

"Mommy, is daddy and Leia going to be okay?" asks her son, who was fiddling with a toy Starfighter in his chubby hands as she sat behind him, stroking and combing his shiny blond locks.

Padmé sighs gently and frowns. "I don't know, Lukie," she chuckles at his clumsily nickname Anakin disliked, but glad to have brought a smile upon her own face, "I hope so. Do you think they're okay?"

"I can feel Leia and daddy," Luke replies proudly, "Leia is okay, daddy is worried. Mama, why is daddy worried?"

"He... just wants your sister to be okay, Luke," Padmé lulls with a sweet, sad smile. Her son sighs.

"I believe you, mama. I think Leia is going to be just fine, if I can still sense her then I know she's okay."

Padmé had always found it incredible that her children were so linked, in ways other than but especially the Force. She was unfortunate to have not had any Force connections herself, but thankful Anakin came along to grant them their Force-connected little souls.

They truly were blessed children, as Anakin had said all those years ago.

Oh, how she missed him...

And oh, how they all missed Leia.

• • •

"Soon then," Anakin suggests as he accompanies Obi-Wan leaving the Temple building. As they trotted down the staircase, R2-D2 beeped in happiness at Anakin's appearance, and Anakin chuckles at the droid.

"Yes, soon," Obi-Wan replies. "I know how eager you are to retrieve your daughter, Anakin, but the wisest time to do so would be when the Order is distracting her from her duties."

Anakin is silent and stops walking. Obi-Wan does as well, and asks, "Anakin, is everything all right?"

Anakin blinks for an extended time, then opens his eyes with a relieved exhale. "I can sense Leia," he states, "She is all right. I'm going back to Naboo for the night, Master. Contact me tomorrow and we can discuss what's to go on with the Death Star destruction... but I would like to get Leia as quickly as possible."

"I understand, Anakin," replies Obi-Wan with a nod. "Now you best be on your way to Naboo, shall you?"

"Definitely. Thank you, Master."

Anakin climbs into his speeder and closes the hatch, greeting R2 happily before jolting off into the Coruscanti traffic he enjoyed disturbing.

But he couldn't enjoy it that much now.

All he was focusing on was the fact that Obi-Wan kept trying to delay Leia's rescue.

Will he ever understand? No...

A/N: YAY! Updates! I'm thrilled for the next one, a lot of stuff is gonna go down. Expect to see really exciting events... or so I hope you'll find them exciting.

Thanks for 2.8k reads - it's been incredible so far, and I couldn't thank everyone more!

- Claudia