The beautiful alderaanian nightsky slowly showed itself as the last sunrays disappeared in a thin line, highlighting the majestuous city of Aldora with its glorious light. From where she was lying, her bed facing the enormous and only window of her room, Leia could see this magnificient scene. The sight had always calmed her nerves. It brought her so much peace, like if there was no politics effect, no problems, no Empire... The only sight of the alderaani sunset brought her smile on her face and she closed her eyes, freely letting herself overhelmed by it. It was great, refreshing, peaceful feeling. It felt... it felt like home.
The significal swoosh of a open door caught her attention, slowly bringing her back to reality. Turning her head around, she saw her father standing next to her bed. She smiled up at him and invited him to sit next to her, which he did, a small smile on his lips. But even with his happy facade, Leia could clearly see the grey hair on his temple and the exhausted glint in his fatherly brown eyes. They sat there in silence, hands laced together, enjoying the presence of the other.
"Dad... I..." she quickly turned her head away, avoiding his gaze. Her heart pounded fast in anticipation in her chest. It didn't feel right to even bother asking this question. Senator Organa and his wife had welcomed and rose her as their own daughter, had brought her the best education and had loved her so much... No, it didn't feel right to ask that to someone who had loved so much even if they weren't bloodly related.
However, Bail looked up at her, squeezing her hand tendrely and encouraged her to continue. With a hesitant sight, she spoke her mind: "Did mother love me?"
The question took him by surprise, she could see it in his confused eyes. "Of course she loved you, sweetheart, and she still does. We both do..." he was very confused, unsure to completely surrounding the meaning of her question.
Leai shook her head and braced herself in her bead so she was sitting next in front of him. "No... You don't understand..." she tralled off, unsure for the first time in her life. "I mean, my real mom loved me?"
A bright but sad smile illuminated Bail's face when the information clearly reached his tired brain. "Yes, I'm sure she did, with all her heart."
"But she abandonned me!" she replied, frowning.
Her father sighed, his thumb caressed her knuckles gently. "She would never, sweetheart. It's more complicated than that... You see, your mother dies in childbirth. We saved you but... we failed saving her."
Leia nodded slowly, his words slowly made their way to her heart, cringing it at each syllable. Yes, even if she loved her adoptive parents dearly, she couldn't help but dream, longing, of being with her real mother, to feel what it's like to be in presence of the among of love of being part of something much more bigger than an adoptive family. She just... couldn't explain what she felt, but she knew it was real.
"How was she? How did she look?" Leia was more curious than before.
A radious yet still sad smile crept on her father figure's face and she saw his eyes brighted up a little. "Her name was Padmé... she was one of my closest friend. She was the senator of Naboo, her home planet, and the representative of the Chommell sector. Force, you're so much like her Leia: this same firm but soft eyes, same long brown hair and features, but most of all, you have her faith in democracy..."
All of her being swell with some sort of affection, for her real mother and the man in front of her. The way he talked about her, so passionate and respectful, let no doubt of how a wonderful person her mother was. Still, Leia felt like something his missing, and she knew exactly what... or more specially, who. She glanced back at Bail. "What about my father?"
Instantly, she saw the man who had replaced her father figure froze for a moment, like... like if he had seen a ghost... a ghost that scared people instead of watching them like in the bedtime stories her mother often read her when she was a child. It was very unlike him to act like this.
"Well... I didn't know him personnately, I saw him maybe one or two times, but I heard good of him. He wasn't only your mother's husband, oh no, he was also her best friend. Your stubborness came a bit from your mother, but mostly from your father. He was also determinated and loyal..." then he muttered under his breath so Leia could barely heard him. "To much loyal..."
She didn't asked the meanning of his last statement, since her adoptive father didn't seem to be at ease with the subject. "Did he love me too?"
"He..." Bail began, unsure. "I'm sure he loved you too... if he's still alive," seeing her face fell, he quickkly added: "You see, when the Empire rose... your father just... disappear. So he could be dead, but he could be alive too."
That single sentence filled Leia's heart with hope. Maybe, just maybe, she had a biological family somewhere, maybe she could find her father some day and bring him here, on Alderaan, with her adoptive family.
Little did she know...