Her legs were aching from running, and her throat sore from panting. Leia cursed herself for her recklessness. She had come to a stop in front of a steep cliff, while the pirates were still chasing her. She was faster than them, but now they had surrounded her. She spent a moment estimating her options. She could probably make the dive down the cliff , and she didn't want to fight the pirates. She didn't doubt she could win, but it would be nasty business. "She was right.", Leia admitted to herself quietly. "That was a stupid move."

Like she had expected it didn't take the pirates long to find her. She only smiled as six rifles were all set on her. "We can talk about this.", Leia said invitingly. "No talking.", the apparent leader of the weequay said with a strong accent. "I'm sorry young lady, but we must ask you to return it now. This game was amusing, but it ends now." Leia touched it through her robes. "You see, I can't do that. The holocrons, one of which you stole, are very valuable to the jedi order.", she said. "Stole?", the pirate repeated incredulously. "I must have misheard. We are honorable businessmen. We bought that item for a fair price.", he assured.

Leia was developing great dislike of the that pirate, and if it was only because of his insolence. "I don't care who initially took it. I'm here to bring it back to Coruscant.", Leia countered. "You are?", a well known voice reproved. "Sorry, Master.", Leia murmured nervously. "Look who it is!", the pirate greeted Ahsoka. "The jedi child! It must have been twenty years since we last met." Leia looked up in confusion. What were the odds her Master knew a random pirate. "Hondo. Who else could we possibly have crossed paths with?", Ahsoka sighed. "You know each other?", Leia asked curiously. "Very good friends from the past.", Hondo grinned with opened arms. "You abducted me.", Ahsoka cut him off. "Did you at least get it?", she asked, facing Leia once more. "Hence the chasing.", Leia retorted and pulled the holocron out of her robes. "I'm sorry for this unpleasantry." Ahsoka was addressing Hondo while briefly studying the summoned holocron. "But it's true. We were sent here to retrieve this. I'm afraid we won't leave without it." Hondo put his hand over his eyes, as if devastated. "You know how much I despise ruining friendships. But business is business. If you don't give it to us by free will, we will have to make this even less pleasant.", he said.

"Her father will not be happy to hear that his own... acquaintance has harmed his daughter." Hondo frowned, but lowered his blaster a little. "What are you talking about?", he wanted to know. Ahsoka smiled at him. "I'm sure you remember Anakin Skywalker." Leia couldn't tell, due to the glasses Hondo was wearing, but she could have sworn his eyes had widened a bit. "Did you say Skywalker?", Hondo repeated while completely putting away his weapon. "Maybe we could sell it to you for a good price?", he quickly suggested. Ahsoka rolled his eyes, but threw Hondo some credits, which he caught with a grin. "It always is a pleasure to do business with you.", he said before showing his men to withdraw with him. Leia looked after them, dumbfounded and speechless.

"What just happened?", she asked slowly. "You got yourself into deep trouble." "Actually, I had it under control.", Leia said, but a strict look was enough to shut her up.

"So why is that pirate scared of dad?", Leia asked after a short while of shameful silence. "They met often enough during the clone wars for Anakin to leave an impression." Leia had to suppress a smirk, before her hope to get off the hook was quickly erased. "This is the part where you tell me what happened.", Ahsoka said.

"You told me to investigate, and I had the opportunity to just take it. They weren't supposed to notice." "I knew you were going to try something like that. You're his daughter after all. Which is why I've specifically told you not to take any course of action." "I'm sorry, Master.", Leia apologised. "Never mind. Do you think I listened to Anakin, when I was his Padawan?", Ahsoka smirked. "Still, you need to be more careful. Do you know what your father will do to me if I allow you to get hurt?" Leia smiled up to her mentor, and good friend.

"So what now?", she asked. "Do we go and find out who first stole it?" Ahsoka shook her head. "We've completed our mission, Leia. We're heading back to Coruscant." "We're just letting them go?", Leia called out. "They stole an ancient, sacred artefact." Ahsoka sighed. "The temple was abandoned for two years, Leia. We can't hunt after everyone who broke in." Leia didn't like the idea of letting someone who had taken a holocron in blasphemy get away, but she couldn't argue with her Master. "Besides, how long can you stand for leaving your brother behind in the core?", Ahsoka reminded. "I had to guard the senate for almost a month last time. Luke has been there for a week."


"I'm sorry, they're in session. You have to be a senator to enter now.", Luke told the tourists. They smiled awkwardly and apologetically before moving away. There always had to be at least one jedi near the senate building, in case of any terrorist attacks. There still were those who favoured the empire, and disagreed with the republic's return. Luke had witnessed a few their attacks, some directed at himself. After all, the people had been preached that the jedi were evil for years, and some still believed so. As their grandmaster Anakin and his family were not popular among them. And to prevent that some of those fanatics would try to bomb the senate or similar, the jedi were meant to guard it. But in reality, Luke was so overly qualified, it was insulting. Especially now, that the fourth chancellor's term was over, and it was the up to the senate to elect the fifth.

The event was attracting hordes of visitors, who came to witness the event. Now Luke had to keep them all out during the voting procedure, while Leia was chasing after pirates in the outer rim. Why was it that Luke had been assigned to the one jedi Master who always volunteered for such dull and tiring missions? Obi Wan insisted such were refreshing and calming. Usually, Luke thought of him as wise and powerful. He admired his Master. Most of the time. Even long before he and Leia had been granted the rank of Padawan and were assigned to their mentors with fourteen.

Luke grunted in frustration as he saw another figure climbing the steps of the senate building. He prepared to send away yet another spectator, when he recognized his father, in a black cloak and tunic. "What are you doing here?", Luke asked him. "Your mother send me a message, about what was happening inside. The senate is done with the election. They just finishing their speeches right now." Luke's eyes widened. "She told you early?", he demanded. "So who did they choose?" Anakin smirked.

"Her." Luke's jaw dropped. "Mom's chancellor.", he murmured in disbelief. "When is Leia back?", he wanted to know. "Will she have to learn of this with the rest of the public, once the footage is broadcasted?" Anakin shrugged. "It depends. Ahsoka told me when they'll be back. If you go now, you can catch her on the spaceport. Just be home in the evening." Luke stared at his father. "I'll get Obi Wan off your back.", Anakin promised before Luke could say anything.

"You're the absolute best!", Luke called out as he was already running towards his speeder to join the busy traffic of Coruscant. Luke knew Obi Wan wouldn't let this go. He had lost count of how often his Master had held his lectures about responsibility and reliability. But Luke couldn't care less right now. The twins mother had just ascended to the politically most powerful individual in the galaxy. Considering these news, he was even willing to forget that he was still jealous of Leia, for leaving the core for once.


Leia didn't adore the capital. Sure, it was her home, the place she had grown up, but she found the great city irritating. There was no green on the entire planet, nothing but more and more giant constructions and bottomless gorges between. Despite their father's strict rule, Leia and her brother liked to descend into the lower levels from time to time. Down there, most didn't cared who their parents were, and the twins were able to protect themselves from the few who did.

Ahsoka maneuvered the ship towards the jedi temple's spaceport. "How long are we staying this time?", Leia wanted to know. Coming home was nice for the first few days, but it became boring after at least a week. "You know that's not how it works, Leia. If there's nothing for us to do, there is no point in leaving.", Ahsoka smiled. "And you should be grateful that there aren't many urgent matters for the order to attend. It means the civil war is really over, not just on paper." Leia leaned back in her seat. "At least you weren't stuck in the same city for months." "You're saying that because you didn't live to see the war, Leia. Which is something you should be especially grateful for." Leia immediately felt shallow for her comment. Ahsoka rarely talked about the war, but every time she did, she fell into a tense silence for a short while. Leia stayed on her seat awkwardly, not daring to interrupt Ahsoka's thoughts. They stayed like that until Ahsoka had landed the ship, and deployed the ramp.

Leia was glad to escape the situation by quickly leaving into the hangar. "Call me if something comes up!", Leia called into the ship when she had already descended the ramp. She hurried away, not waiting for an answer. Leia decided to call for a taxi and head home, when a blond head appeared in her vision. "Little brother!", Leia smiled. "Older than you.", Luke reminded shortly. "Yeah, but you're simply a little short for the title of big brother." Luke rolled his eyes at her. "I thought you were at the senate.", she continued. Luke grinned at her. "I was, but Dad bailed me out.", he explained. Leia's jaw dropped. "Seriously? I was rotting there for weeks.", she complained.

"I've got news, Leia. Big ones.", he went on. She raised a brow at him. "Important enough for Dad to let you go? Let's hear 'em." She resumed heading for the exit, making Luke follow her. "It's Mom. She won the election." Leia stopped again, not having walked more than a few meters. "Mom is chancellor of the republic?", Leia repeated. Luke confirmed with a nod. "So who is senator of naboo now?", she asked. Luke pulled a grimace. "I don't know. That's your first question?" Leia shrugged. "Just curious. Anyway, where is she?" "Still in the senate. Dad said to be home in the evening, so we've got time to spare." Leia gave her brother a meaningful look. "Thinking what I'm thinking?"


"So how was the outer rim?", Luke asked while turning his drink in his hand. "Disappointing.", Leia replied and downed her own one. "We just went around talking to scum, finding out where the pirates went. I actually ended up being chased by them, but Ahsoka settled it, just by throwing Dad's name at them.", she told him. "Which one?", Luke asked. "Shut up!", Leia jumped and threw cautious glances around them. "His real one.", she then answered, in a quiet tone. Darth Vader's true fate was still a secret to the public. Only the twins, their mother, and a handful others knew that Anakin Skywalker hadn't literally killed Vader.

The twins' attention was quickly distracted by a stereotypical cantina standoff. A young human man with brown hair had been cornered by a rodian, pointing a blaster at him. The rodian didn't speak the common tongue. Luke recognized it as huttese, and could pick up a few single words. The human obviously understood the rodian, and answered him in basic. "I didn't flee Tatooine!", he ensured. "I... I have the money here, I was going to get it and bring it to Jabba." The rodian only came closer, speaking quickly, and pressed the blaster's muzzle to the human's chest. "It's not an excuse, Greedo. And I don't need anymore time."

Leia made a move, as if to stand up, and Luke saw her hand on the hilt on her belt. Luke grabbed her upper arm and shook his head in silence. He had observed how the human had unclipped the gun strap on his belt, without the rodian noticing. Apparently, he knew what he was doing, there was no point for the twins to make a scene. Luke proved to be right. The human slowly raised his gun and pulled the trigger. The rodian's blood splattered on the floor, and his lifeless body fell onto the human, who pushed it away from him. "Sorry about the mess.", he apologised towards the bartender.

"What an idiot.", Leia remarked. "If the hutts are after him, killing their bounty hunters won't do him any favors." Leia slipped out of Luke's grip and strolled over to the man. He grunted in frustration, but let his sister go. "What are you doing?", he asked her wordlessly, using the bond the twins had spun over many years. She didn't acknowledge his question as she reached the human. "Come, sit. You wan't a drink?", she whispered as she slightly touched his arm, as if in affection. Luke shot her an icy glance. She really couldn't resist any temptations. Leia pulled the man onto the bar seat next to Luke and sat down besides.

"So what was that about?", she asked. "Just my line of work.", the man retorted. "So which type are you? Bounty hunter? Smuggler?", Luke guessed. "Who's asking?" "Someone you should answer to. If you're wise enough to avoid even more trouble.", Leia replied in Luke's stead, while throwing back her robes to reveal her lightsaber. "I... run errands.", the man finally responded. "And you failed at an assignment, given to you by the hutts.", Luke stated. The smuggler opened his mouth as if to say something, but Leia stepped in. "If you smuggled something for Jabba, so important he sends bounty hunters after you for messing up, it seems like something we should be interested in as well." The smuggler snorted in amusement. "Please. You're both kids, what are you going to do.", he snickered. "You'll want to drop that.", Leia warned. "Look, it wasn't anything bad. Just worth a lot of money to Jabba." The man waved for the bartender to bring him a drink. "I feel like I know you kids from somewhere.", he murmured and downed it one go.

Leia gave him a bright smile. "You must be mixing us up with someone.", she said. The smuggler only shrugged and waved for another drink. Luke only hoped that the man was here alone, and that he really didn't care. "What was it?", Leia picked up the topic once more. "Deathsticks? Weapons?" Luke could feel his sister's excitement. She hoped this would turn into a great and crazy adventure. "That's none of your business, Lady.", the smuggler snarled. "If it was harmless, like you said, you shouldn't have an issue with sharing what it was.", she countered. "I still don't have a reason to, though.", he retorted. "Do you really want to get into this?", Luke asked his sister without speaking. "It might be fun.", the answer came out laud. "What?", the man wondered in confusion. "Nothing.", Leia grinned. "Alright, you know what? That's my time.", the man said and rose from his seat.

Leia did as well. "Stop it!", Luke warned through their bond. "Not now. Not today. Not without any reason.", he told her. She sulked at him, but complied. Luke sighed in relief. He knew how his sister could get when she was in one of her moods. Today, he could even understand her. She had been in the outer rim, after almost a month of guarding the senate, she had looked forward to some sort of action. Luke couldn't say he didn't feel the same, but at least he was not as hotheaded as she was.