{TW: Death and loss of parent. I know that this TW seems unnecessary but I know that a lot of people are affected by this and especially the pain of having to suffer the loss of a parent. If this applies to you, you don't have to suffer alone and my messages are always open <3 }

"Sarin."

Sarin stared at me with ice cold eyes, the moonlight illuminating his wrinkled face as it spilled through the gaps in the blinds draped over the window. He hoisted his legs over the side of the dingy grey bed to face me, a twisted grin crawling upon his chapped lips as he stared me dead in the eyes. I noticed that in the time he had been here, he had somehow aged as his hair seemed more thin, wispier and whiter than usual. Jumping a little from the prison door sliding closed behind me, I nervously grab my thumb and squeeze it as I took slow steps toward the man, who's presence alone disgusted and made me angry.

"Why are you here. Surely you don't want to humiliate me further, Princess," Sarin said tiredly, pushing his whitened hair from the his eyes.

"Actually... in your absence I became the Queen," I correct him, trying my best authoritative voice out on him. I squeezed my thumb tighter in my closed fist as his grin morphed into a low, drained laugh, baring his yellowed teeth to me.

"I guess that congratulations are in order, my child." Sarin sighed and looked into my eyes, a glimmer of humanity appearing in them for a moment. I felt myself tense up a little from his strange behaviour and I raise my eyebrow, stepping closer to him as the moonlight spilled out on me, drenching my gown in white light.

"You're taking this strangely well-" I say to him, my voice tailing off at the end due to my uncertainty as I watch Sarin shoot me another toothy grin.

He chuckled at me, shaking his head, "Well that was ultimately the plan, was it not? I was actually in the process of scheduling your coronation earlier, but then of course, your little Jedi lapdogs arrested me for a crime I didn't even commit."

Ouch.

Unfortunately, he had a point. As he had previously tried to tell me before, he was indeed framed.

By my dead brother.

I needed to at least apologize; I can't bear to have this weighing down on my conscience for another moment. "Sarin... about that. I know that you and I have never seen eye-to-eye, but after recent events, I've come to believe you. In fact, I know that you weren't the one trying to have me killed."

Sarin widened his eyes at me, obviously also confused by my sudden apology and attempt to talk with him reasonably as adults, "You-you do? Then why the hell am I still in this prison?!"

"I'm going to work on getting you out, and even though you will not resume your role as Senator, I came here for something else."

Sarin sighs and places his fingers to his temple as he looks up to me in exhaustion, "Go ahead, my lady."

I subtly take in a deep breath, reminding myself that this was my last chance of uncovering my father and his identity. Knowing his name and of his role in the Republic was simply just not enough for me; I felt like I needed to know more. My father is my last hope and the last key I have of unlocking a part of me which was concealed and hidden from me all my life.

Sarin is my last hope.

"You knew my father, correct?" I finally get out of the words which felt as though they were lodged deep in my throat, unable to get out. My voice waivered a little as I spoke, but I tried my hardest to keep my composure and suppress the emotions I was feeling at this moment.

I internally and silently plead to Sarin as his eyebrows raise upon mention of my father, a man who clearly had disappeared for the last god-knows how many years, "Your father... he wasn't someone your mother was fond of talking about after your birth. But yes, I did know Maik-Sin."

I let out a small sigh of relief but my heartrate does not seem to lower, "What happened to him? I know that he was a Jedi and a deserter of the Order... but what became of him?"

"I will tell you, but are you definitely sure you want me to? His last moments... it wasn't a pleasant thing to behold. And as his daughter, I just want to warn you," Sarin's tone softened, looking at me with sympathetic, and almost sad eyes.

I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my fists, letting out another sigh before turning to face him once again, "I need to know, Nios."

{SARIN'S POV}

She wants to know what happened to Maik-Sin.

I needed to tell her, but how was I supposed to tell her that her father died in the arms of her seven year old brother?

I can't say I didn't warn her.

"Listen close, (y/n); I don't think I'll be able to repeat myself..."

{FLASHBACK / SONG ALERT: PARALYZED - NF}

I entered the dim-lit room of the guest chambers where I knew that Maik-Sin had been brought after the explosion upon his entry back to Solaris to meet the new-born Princess. The Queen had not long departed for business with the Duchess on Mandalore, and just as her ship left the system, her estranged Jedi partner finally returned to Vis. I had been sent to welcome him home, to bring him to his infant daughter, to reunite him with the son he had not seen for over a year now. I was stood, prepared and waiting for him to join me, but as soon as he stepped foot on the ground, his ship seemed to suddenly explode behind him. I ordered the troop of security clones to return him to the Palace, but he had already suffered too much damage.

As I quietly closed the oak doors behind me, I swivelled on my heels to approach the wounded Jedi, but stopped in my tracks upon sight of the young Prince perched on the edge of chaise longue chair where his father was resting, his arm draped over his bloodied shoulder. The fire roared in the fireplace as it provided the only light in the room, highlighting the two figures in front of it and almost shadowing everything else in the room, including me.

They just seemed to lie there in complete silence, the young Ayzel's head resting gently on the other shoulder of his father, his tear-stained face glistening golden in the firelight. I felt my chest tighten as I saw Maik-Sin's chest heave up and down, slowing with each breath, his pattern becoming more uneven and more staggered by the second.

Ayzel lifts his head from his father, his messy brown hair tousled in front of his eyes, and stared at his father with the most devastated, most painful look I had ever seen.

"Dad, you can't-you can't leave me. Stay with me; you're all I have left," Ayzel sobbed, grabbing onto his fathers ragged tunic, his voice hitching due to his cries making him hyperventilate.

"Ayzel... my-my son. I'm sorry. I-I have failed you," Maik-Sin whispered in a hushed, broken sentence, bringing his shaky and weakened hand up to his son's cheek. Ayzel pressed his hand to his fathers, squeezing his eyes shut from his touch as yet another tear rolls down the boy's cheek.

"You haven't failed me. You had a duty, you did what you could. You protected our family from all the evil in the galaxy, and you have defended the Republic. Just don't leave me now, I-I've only just gotten you back," Ayzel whispered back to Maik-Sin, his lip quivering as he stared into the ever-fading, lifeless brown eyes of his father.

"Have you... have you met her?"

"Met who, dad?" Ayzel questions in confusion, trying to engage his father so he would stay alive.

"My Princess, your sister... (y/n)."

"I have, she's-she's beautiful Dad. She has mother's (y/e/c) eyes and your (y/h/c) hair, and the most adorable smile... Why-why are you asking me this?" Ayzel told his father, making Maik-Sin smile weakly at the description of his baby girl who he had not so much as laid an eye on. As his eyes start to become weaker by the moment, Ayzel shakes his head in disbelief, "No. No, dad! You will meet her, you will-"

Maik-Sin offers his son one more broken smile as he looks upon his fractured expression, "Protect her, my son. Protect her, now that I... now that I can't-"

And with one last glimmer of life fading in the tired eyes of the Jedi, his hand fell from his son's cheek, falling off the edge of the chaise. Ayzel's eyes drift down to his un-moving hand and back up to his father, who's eyes had fluttered closed as he took his gaze from him. He shakes his head violently at his father's lifeless body, grabbing onto his tunic and resting his head on his chest, Ayzel's body violently shaking due to his heart-wrenching sobs.

"No. No. NO! Dad don't go. I need you. Don't leave us, DON'T LEAVE ME!"

I bring my hand to my heart in respect of the fallen warrior as I am forced to watch his son cradle his own father's lifeless body, his tears splashing down onto Maik-Sin's face. I wanted to go over to the Prince, I really did, but I knew that Ayzel would be practically inconsolable right now.

He wanted his father.

His father had been gone for years.

But this time he would never come back to him.

{SONG ENDS / FLASHBACK ENDS}

I try to hold back the emotions I was feeling for recalling this moment, feeling utter pain and remorse run through my once cold heart. But as soon as I see the devastated expression on (y/n)'s face and the tears shining in her eyes, I don't know how much longer I can keep up the act.

{(Y/N)'S POV}

"Thank you, Nios. I-I think I need to go now-" I stammer, my vision blurred as I look at Sarin's also saddened face. He offers me a reassuring smile, nodding his head at me.

"Of course. I understand, it truly was one of my most darkest moments, my lady. It broke me to see your brother and your father in that state."

I nod, trying to blink away my tears as I fixate on Sarin's boot due to my inability to look him in the eyes, "Yes..."

He sighs and looks me in the eyes, "Go."

"I will come back for you Sarin. I promise-"

"(y/n). Just go, don't worry about me."

I take one last look at Sarin's pained expression before rushing out of the cell, pushing past the two clones stood guarding the doorway. They yelled at me, but I chose not to dignify them with a response and just continue to run, tears streaming down my face, my green gown billowing out behind me. I keep sprinting until I reach the West Wing of the Senate building, far far away from where I left Ahsoka and Anakin in my quarters.

I rush into a room, in a part of the Senate where no-one was around. Slamming the door behind me, I slump my body down on the back of it and bring my hands up to my face and allow a few silent tears roll down my cheek. I bite my lip as I stare into the dark room in front of me, fixating on the holo-table in the centre of the room.

As I try to regain my unsteady breaths, I notice that two buttons on the holo-table begin to flash a vibrant green and red repeatedly. Furrowing my eyebrows at it in confusion, I slowly approach the table and aim my finger over the button. I lower my finger onto the button, hesitating a little just before it grazes the top. After a brief moment, I finally press my finger down onto the button, allowing it the pressure that it needed to turn on.

I jump a little as a blue, glitching hologram of a person suddenly flashes on top of the table, stepping back a little as my eyes widen upon the sight of someone I had rather hoped not to see right now.

"Ayzel."

"Hello, Starlight."

{ a/n : Finally I updated!!! Ok this flashback in this chapter may have been the saddest thing I've written so far, I don't know about you guys but I was literally crying whilst writing it! I hope it was a decent chapter, and don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts! Thank you for all the support and Ily all <3

- Also, I have recently published a new Anakin fanfic called 'Hunted' and I would appreciate it so so so much if you guys would check it out! }