This is the revenge Leia should've gotten.

Very powerful story. It is disturbing, but abuse should be disturbing. Much anger in her... like her father.

There was something insanely gratifying about this story. I can't place exactly why - maybe because everything about it felt so raw and real, and most of all so very powerful and thought provoking. It was incredibly dark, but sometimes I need to read a little dark fan fiction to be able to fully enjoy the lighter stuff. To me this is an instant classic. No two ways about it.

y'know seren, this was wonderful, but the fact that u named that asshole Ariel has ruined the little mermaid for me forever. (Worth it for this fic tho)

Wow, this was an awesome story! It brought to light a many emotions that we can only imagine Leia must go through when thinking of her torture on the Death Star. With the PTSD she must have she could have chosen to become a evil herself but the fact that she has remained in the light regardless of all the bad things that have happened to her just goes to show you how strong a woman she really is. I love Leia and I love writers that write her in the real and strong way that you have. Thank you so much!

This is so dark, your story got me really scared...

Interestingly dark, yet very well written at the same time. You manage to tackle Leia's PTSD in a unique way, and the wording is fitting and adds to the situation. Great job on this.

holy shit.
That was...incredible.

I read this story hours ago and had to come back to review when I was sure I would have the time to do it properly. But now I'm exhausted and am still not sure I'm a good enough writer to review writing this good. However, you deserve prompt, thoughtful reviews for this piece- so I'll try.
First: this was exceptionally well written. The words were poetry. Every single phrase was exactly what it ought to be. From the repetition of "hatred, disgust, and horror" to phrases like, "rising like ichor in her throat until she could not breathe" (a personal favorite) were brilliantly evocative. And your choice to use the future tense so reflectively for a bit was very well done, not all writers can accomplish that and make it work. Here it *really* worked.
Next: Your depictions of Leia's time in Imperial custody are the best I have read. And I liked how the reader got it from the ISP guy and not from Leia directly. When a person is a survivor of torture (or that which is tantamount to torture) they often don't remember much consciously. Usually what memories a survivor has are repressed and only come back in heinous, involuntary flashbacks. And I have always seen that as part of Leia's reality: that part of why she was able to function as well as she did was that she had blocked most of that out. I feel like part of her 'okay-ness' surrounding that also came from knowing that everyone who was there to witness it was dead. If no one actually remembers what happened then you can almost pretend that it didn't really happen, right? So the fact that Leia might crack a little when faced with someone who *does* remember is absolutely believable. The fact that she might crack *a lot* when faced with that person describing for her things that her brain has stored but that it has been protecting her from for years is just as believable. And then her "hatred, disgust, and horror" at herself for becoming- even if only for a moment- exactly what she hates the most in the galaxy is so believable and heartbreaking and so very, very well depicted.
You got into her PTSD-riddled head, nailed what I think the experience of Imperial torture was like for her, and let us in to those dark places without it feeling forced or intrusive.
Also, your ISB agent was just the right bad guy. We hate him, but then we feel bad for him for a second (it was the bit with the stuffed toy that got me) and then we remember that we hate him; so when Leia gives him back everything he served her years before, we're not mad at Leia for it. And that's hard to do. You gave us a villain that was fully human, and had a beloved character act despicably without fully departing from what we know of her. That balance can be nearly impossible to strike, but you did it here.
In case you can't tell, I am incredibly impressed with this piece. It was SO well done on SO many levels and for SO many reasons. Thanks for sharing this with the world. Cheers!
-MQ

Very interesting. I've seen the discussion about Leia and the Dark Side. I agree she probably came close a few times. Nice story.