The Trace Which Remains

Yo! Another update follows close on the heels of the last! May it be a sign!

Chapter 9: ... the original sin...

Luke dozed fitfully, shivering even underneath all of the blankets he had piled upon himself. Slowly, his mind registered that he wouldn't be getting any sleep in this cold. So he lay quietly, trying to use the Force to warm himself.

Suddenly, Doctor Severeth flashed into the room, slapping the CLOSE button hastily and
sending the door slamming shut. Luke could clearly hear the physician's heavy breath, coming in slightly squeaky pulses through his nose. Luke stayed very still, and heard the sound of metal clattering on metal.

Opening his eyes, he saw Severeth glaring, entire body tensed, at a simple box which had
spilled open on his desk. He began fumbling with a disc, his efficient manner replaced with enraged carelessness, and he shoved the disc so hard into his laptop it seemed to Luke it might break. A holoproj in the side of the computer fizzled to life, and a tiny red figure, robed as fully as Palpatine had been- was it Palpatine?- began to speak. It was not Palpatine's voice, however. It was female.

[Severeth, you have not contacted me for quite some time. If we are to move against that fool Sidious we must do so quickly. Vader's child will quickly take our advantage from us. Why have you neglected your training? Why do you ignore my messages? If it is out of
intentional disrespect, you know what you will be in for when I find you. You are worthless without me, you impudent whelp! Understand that!]

"No, YOU are the worthless one, Morata." Severeth's disgust was clear in his voice.

Luke bit his lip, wondering just what that was about. Those names sounded like Old Basic- the language from which Sith names came. Luke swallowed, and immediately wished he hadn't,
because Severeth whirled upon him.

Kneeling at the side of the bed, the doctor locked eyes with his patient, and hissed, "If you even THINK of telling anyone, you'll be Lucy before you can even open your trap."

"I don't even understand!" Luke protested.

Some of the fire went out of Severeth's eyes, and he slumped against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No, of course not..."

"Are you in danger?"

Scoffing, Severeth shook his head. "Not from that old hag. She thinks she has power over
people, when it's just delusion. She was once a brilliant geneticist, but lost her license before the Republic died for mistreatment of patients- she used them as experiments."

"Morata- Old Basic?"

With a nod, the doctor explained. "Darth Morata- as I was once Darth Severeth. I am still Sith, but I no longer use the name Darth."

"What does your name mean?"

"Once, I was 'One who is cut by the light.' Now I am 'One who is cut by that which is precious to him.' Myka means precious."

"And Severeth, one who is cut."

"Precisely. Now, can we stop talking about me? I'm going to upchuck if we don't shut up."
Severeth began to briskly check Luke's stats, as the young Jedi sat wondering about this
bizarre doctor. A Sith, and not afraid to admit it to a Jedi? No wonder his Force-sense was odd. Still, he seemed a very competent doctor, if a bit harsh.

"Your internal temperature is almost two degrees lower than your normal temperature."

"I am freezing," Luke admitted.

"No, but you're starting to. And there's nothing anyone can do to YOU that will help you. It's your father."

Luke's chill grew deeper. "Father?"

Severeth nodded. "Chances are they're not treating him well- your stomach's growling like a maniac although you're well-fed. I'll see what I can do." He stood, shaking his head. "Idiots- hypocrites."

"Wait," Luke raised a hand, curious. "Why're you with the Alliance?"

"Who says that any one factor is right in war? I'm here because at least the Alliance tries to keep a neutral stance on medical rights. And because I've never been able to stand Palpatine. My former 'master' and I agree on one thing only- Palpatine is no Sith. But Morata isn't, either. Not in the true meaning of the word."

Luke slowly nodded in comprehension, before saying, "Thank you for telling me."

"Forget about it." Severeth paused at the door. "Be certain of this- I don't give a wampa's ass about the Jedi, as long as they don't hunt me just because I'm Sith. That was their big mistake with Palpatine. They figured that it was because he was Sith that they should remove him from office- without paying attention to the way he lived and behaved."

****

"Mon, can we talk?" Leia asked as she entered Mon Mothma's office. The former Senator
from Chandrila nodded.

"Do we need privacy?"

"If we can, Mon."

Mon Mothma pressed a button on her desk, and the door slid shut behind Leia. Mon gestured
for Leia to take a seat.

"Mon, you're one of the most devoted advocates of sentient rights I've ever met. You've long been a role model to me," Leia began diplomatically.

"I am honored, Leia. Please, what is on your mind?"

"It concerns my client- Vader. I worry that he is being treated inhumanely. I understand that people may wish for revenge against him, but wouldn't we be acting just like the Empire if we permitted him to be treated unjustly before trial?"

Mothma's aqua eyes widened. "How is he being mistreated?"

"His cell is freezing- I was cold in my normal clothing, while all he had on was thin
sleepclothes. And he hasn't been fed since he arrived yesterday morning- he hasn't eaten at all since..." Leia didn't know how to explain about his resurrection.

"Since he was... removed from the armor?"

That was as good of a way to put it as any. "It's been two days since he has had either food or water. I know he has had Jedi training, so he can handle discomfort, and he asked me to not make a big deal of it, but I fear that if we mistreat him, it will set a bad precedent."

Mon Mothma smiled, and responded, "I can see your worries. I will do what I can to see to
proper treatment of Vader."

Leia sighed with relief. "Thank you, Mon."

"Thank you, Leia, for bringing this to my attention. You are a very just person."

Mon Mothma's praise echoed Anakin's, a short while ago. Leia looked down at her hands,
folded in her lap, and asked after a significant pause, "What was Padme` like?"

"Padme` Amidala?"

"Yes."

"She was the youngest elected to the Senate before me, and you then became the youngest.
She was a champion of the rights of all beings- although she never participated in the
Alliance. She died before it was really formed- but she left us- your father and me- with
valuable advice. She told Bail to keep the surface as a supporter of Palpatine, to keep
suspicion off of our backs." Mothma took a sip of the tea that she held, gesturing at the cup to ask if Leia wanted some. Leia shook her head politely.

"But why the interest in Senator Amidala?"

Leia debated with herself- did she want to tell, did she want to deny, did she want to keep it her little dark secret? A little slice of herself to bitterly smirk over in irony?

No. She had to admit it. "She was my mother, Mon. My birth mother."

Mon closed her eyes, nodding. "I long suspected as much, although there was never proof.
There was an underground rumor that, because she died pregnant at the same time as
Anakin Skywalker, that they were lovers, so Vader killed them out of jealousy, but that has never sounded quite right to me."

"It wasn't, but symbolically it could be interpreted that way."

"Pardon me?"

Leia steeled herself- if she could tell anyone, it was her oldest remaining mentor. "Anakin was my father- and Luke's. However, Vader didn't really kill them- not in the same way as it might seem." Taking a deep breath, she silently apologized to Luke for telling. "Vader was the name Palpatine gave to his Sith apprentice upon the betrayal of the Jedi. Vader's original name..."

"Skywalker," Mothma breathed, obviously shocked.

With a nod, Leia continued. "When the man who had been her lover became Vader, my
mother lost the will to live. She had been attacked, but not to the point of lasting injury. She just gave up, when my brother and I were born." Leia didn't know where the explanation- the knowledge of these facts- came from, but as soon as she said it, she knew the _truth._

"Knowing this information, do you still wish to act as his arbiter?"

Slowly, Leia nodded. "Yes."

"I apologize for my harshness, but I needed everyone to know that I was serious about taking him into custody. And I am serious about pursuing justice in this case- as is all of High Command." Mothma sighed. "I bear no hatred for Vader- just regret for the lives lost to his hand- and to Palpatine's whim. I expect you will be relying heavily on the slavery laws of the Alliance?" Leia nodded. Mon continued. "I will keep your secret, unless it seems to endanger the Alliance. I cannot see how it would, but I must make that clause- there are no certainties in war."

"Understandably. Thank you, Mon." A buzz sounded from the com on Mothma's desk, and the
Chandrilan woman answered.

"Yes?"

"Doctor Severeth, m'lady."

Leia nodded, indicating that the need for privacy was over. Mothma replied, "Enter."

Severeth briskly came to stand at attention at the desk. "Lady Mothma, it has come to my
attention that a prisoner is being badly mistreated. He is getting sick, and is not being fed."

"I am now aware of the Vader situation. I will see to it that he is treated."

Severeth seemed taken aback, but he kept his composure well. "Request to treat the
prisoner."

"Granted, Doctor Severeth. Leia, pick up some clothing from sickbay for Vader on your way, if you like."

"Thank you, Mon."

****

"Quick work, Highness."

Leia stared at Severeth as they walked to his office to pick up clothing and blankets. "I do what I need to."

"Good."

"Any news on either of your studies?"

"I've been... held up." This was said with a scowl, reminding Leia somehow of Vader. The
tone of voice, quiet but angry, further added to the effect.

"Oh." For a moment, neither spoke, until Leia broke the silence. "Where are you from?"

"Coruscant, although I don't know who my parents were. I was raised by my 'teacher' until I left her a few years ago. She still tries to get in contact with me, but I want nothing to do with her."

Oddly, the Vader-sense was rising. Perhaps it was just his anger. Leia shook her head
briskly, wishing she had taken Mon's offer of tea.earlier. She really needed a rest.