Writer: Callista Loveday
Rating: PG, because of a little violence. That's all, really.
Summary: Part 4. Leia decides to follow in her brother's footsteps. But on their hideout on Dagobah Luke and Leia discover the new Emperor- Robin. The Jedi Knight has the final battle between Leia and Robin, and the ending is sure to make you think...
What's going on: (read this before you begin the story) A while ago, Leia was kidnapped by Admiral Robin, who was an admiral on the Death Star who had tortured her. Well, as you can imagine, she was very upset at the Skywalker's for killing the Emperor, destroying the job she so wanted. Oh, and I know there were very few women in the Academy, but earlier I mentioned that her talent was too good to be lost. Luckily Leia escaped from Robin, but she knows the woman is still out there...
Inspiration: Splinter of the Mind's Eye- If you've read it, you might recognize a similarity in a scene... My favorite scene, of course. Don't worry, it's not essential for understanding the story.
Things I don't like about it: It took me seven months to write it, but I was too lazy while rushing to finish at the end of the period, so I may write it all over again, fixing things here and there. However, I would absolutely love it if you would review this!! Feedback is great- That's why fanfiction.net is one of my favorite websites!
www.angelfire.com/movies/daala/index.html
I also have the Vivien Leigh Fan Club for any of you GWTW fans.
~~~~~~~~~~
Groggily, Julks opened her eyes.
"Where am I?" she muttered. She touched her hand to her forehead, only
to have it covered in something wet and sticky. Blood?
Her vision, blurry, began to clear up. Broken glass was in front of
her and she turned her head to the side. A short woman was sitting in the
chair, unconscious. Her long brown was coming out of her hairstyle (one
that went went out of style years before, Julks would of added if this
had been any other situation.)
"Organa?" Julks whispered.
Events that happened earlier in the day began to come back to her.
She and Leia Organa were headed out to Dathomir, to try to convince
the Force trained witches to help the Rebellion. Then she remembered screaming...
And then blackness.
Julks tried to work the holovid, still dazed because her head had been
hit. The details still didn't fit together to her.
"Urgent, urgent. Paisley ship gone down." she punched in the codes
of her location, then tried to wake her friend.
"Julks?" Leia said. She tried to stand, but gave up.
Exhausted, Julks followed her lead and sat down on the copilot chair.
"Mon Mothma is going to have my head for this."
~~
Luke Skywalker walked the empty halls of the hospital quietly, trying
to ignore the sounds made from the other patients. He still hated hospitals.
Just knowing that these people were all sick, some dying, was enough knowledge.
He knocked on the door of his sister's room before entering. Leia smiled
a bit when he entered, not trusting herself to open her mouth to speak.
"Feeling better?" Luke asked. He sat down on the chair beside her,
trying not to look at the small little cuts on her face.
"Yeah. I had a pretty good record going for awhile. I haven't been
in an hospital for a year or so." Luke laughed at that, and was pleased
when Leia grinned at her own joke.
"So when do you get out of here?"
Leia stopped smiling. "Oh, I'll be out in a couple days."
"You don't seem so happy about it."
"I've been thinking about what I'm going to do when I get out. I'm
not sure if I want to be a politician."
"What do you mean? You've been in politics since you were 16. Just
think about it when you get out, maybe you'll change your mind."
"I don't think so." She sighed wearily. "I've been doing this sort
of thing for eight years, Luke. I'm 25. I'm so sick of meetings, I don't
care if I ever go to one again. I want to be a Jedi. I want to help you."
"I know I can't change your mind." He stood up, ready to leave. "Leia,
I'll teach you how to be a Jedi."
"Thank you, Luke." Leia whispered. She shifted uncomfortably in the
small hospital bed.
"Yes, Leia. Han's fine." Luke said, reading her thoughts.
"And Chewie?"
"Yes, he's fine."
"Three-pio?"
"Leia. Everyone is fine.. Okay?" He opened the door to the hallway,
leaving his sister with her thoughts.
'Leia Organa = Jedi Knight?' he thought to himself. But the thought
didn't give him a calming effect. Instead an overwhelming sense of dread
washed over, and that night, he had a vision of a dark Sith.
A Sith with a black mask.
Leia dressed carefully the day she got out of the hospital. She wore
a business-like cream colored jacket and a knee length matching skirt.
Her hair was pulled back in the same hairstyle she wore at Cloud City all
those years before, and the black circles under her eyes and the cuts on
her face had disappeared from before.
She hadn't told anyone she had been left out early- not even her brother.
'My brother,' she thought happily. Not even three years of knowing the
secret of her family took away some of the excitement.
"Where to, Miss?" 'Miss. Pretty soon it will Ma'am.' Leia thought.
"3rd floor." Leia answered. As she walked down the hallway, her fear
surfaced. 'Whatever happened to New Republic bravery?'
"Ms Organa! What a surprise!" Mon Mothma said, and she ushered her
inside the spacious apartment.
Leia sat down on a large chair, and was nearly swallowed up. "We need
to talk."
"Tea?" Leia waved it away with her hand. "Is something wrong?"
"I am most grateful for the years that I have spent with the Rebellion-
er, New Republic, but I'm afraid I must drop from my position."
"Leia! Has something happened?"
Leia allowed herself a small smile. "No. I have decided to join my
brother on a trip to Dagobah. To become a Jedi Knight."
"Your brother! All siblings you had on Alderaan are dead." Mon Mothma's
hand flew to her throat. "I was not aware any survived." she took Leia's
hand in hers. "I know some people don't know about your sisters and brother,
but Bail Organa told me, and we were friends for years."
"Bail Organa wasn't my father." she ignored the Cheif-of-State's stare,
and continued. "Anakin Skywalker married a young woman before he turned
to the Dark Side. The woman then had twins, but was forced to hide them
once her husband became a Sith. The little girl was sent to Alderaan to
live with Bail and Eloise Organa, and the little boy was sent to Tattooine
to live with Owen and Beru Lars. The woman eventually disappeared, and
Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. Eighteen years after the twins had
gone into hiding, they met up, and four years later discovered their heritage."
"Luke Skwalker is your brother." The statement was short and simple,
but it seemed like a life time had passed.
"I know I have just resigned, Mon Mothma, but tell me: Would I of been
sent out of the New Republic if I had told you this sooner?"
"Ms Organa, this would of caused quite a stir with other politicians.
The media would try to destroy you if you were still in the New Republic."
Leia cringed. "I would let you remain in your position."
"Thank you."
"Now, We- I have a meeting in fifteen minutes. Do you want more time
to talk?"
"No. I'm just glad I've told someone."
"Does anyone else know?"
"Han Solo. That's it."
Mon Mothma nodded. "If you need someone else to talk to.."
Leia smiled weakly and walked out the door. 'There's no turning back.'
'My suitcases are packed, I've said good-bye to everyone, I've made
my announcement to the media... But there is still something nagging me..'
Leia thought to herself, watching Luke try to get her ship, Alderaani,
working properly. The long silver hull gleamed in the bright light of day,
and somehow it made her feel better.
"Let's go!" Luke shouted over the noise of the ship, and she raced
inside. The spacious cockpit made her feel like someone else besides them
should be there, and it got worse when they jumped lightspeed and were
passing the stars quickly. 'Just look down, just look down...'
"You're really going through this?" Luke asked. "We could go back."
"Luke! You sound like... Like you don't want me come. Is that what
you think?"
"I'm glad you want to become a Jedi Knight, I really am. It's just
that I had a vision of Vader."
"Oh, not again. He's behind us, Luke."
Vader. So that was what had been bothering her.
"Ready to land." Luke said. Leia glanced up and saw they were landing
on a small planet filled with swamp and trees and wildlife.
"This is it!? But- I-" she sputtered, trying to remain calm. "I thought
we were going to land on a planet that was less... wet. Something that
would be expected for training. Like Dathomir or Yavin 4. Not a giant swamp."
Luke chuckled. "That was my reaction, too. It won't seem so bad after
a while. You'll get used to it."
Walking outside and following her brother to a small house, she doubted
she would get used to it.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"Yoda's house. I was here when he died. He just disappeared.. he knew
he was going to die."
"Can any Jedi just disappear when they die?"
"Only those that know they're going to die. If it takes them by surprise
though.."
"How can a Jedi be taken by surprise?"
"There are limits to what one can do, Leia. People can be taken by
surprise in a lightsaber fight, when they get cocky."
She hurried to change the subject. "We should eat something."
Swinging from the vines of the tree quickly, sweat rolled off Leia's
face and her breath became uneven.
"All right, you can stop." Luke said, and waited while she walked slowly
over to where he was standing.
"Did you have to work this hard, or are you just being hard on me?"
"I think I'm being much kinder than what Yoda was to me."
"He must of been awfully tough," she said dryly, ignoring the glare
she was sent.
"Now, try lifting those rocks. Sit here." Luke commanded. Leia merely
sighed and tried to complete the exercise, not paying attention to what
Luke was then muttering...
The trees were being torn down. The sound was barely audible, but to
a Jedi Master it stood out. Luke waited to see if Leia noticed it, but
she ws concentrating on trying to lift the rocks using the Force.
Finally she had stacked up the rocks in a neat little pile and motioned
for her to follow him. His quiet footsteps were silenced against her boots
stepping on the leaves.
"Try to be more quiet!" Luke whispered.
But she wasn't looking at him at all. "Oh my stars," and turned him
around to look face-to-face at one of the tallest machines ever built-
undoubtedly built by the Empire.
"What's it doing here?" Leia asked.
"Tearing down trees."
The long arms on the machine grabbed trees out of the roots, and stuffed
them back into something that looked like a mouth. 'It looks like a large
black spider,' Luke thought.
"I thought the Empire didn't know about Dagobah!" Luke exclaimed.
"The spies never informed us this. I wasn't told!"
"Well, there's one thing to do- We will have to go inside it."
Robin watched the footage from the outside cameras with a small, but
cruel, smile. Her good looks and beauty had been ruined by the fight last
year with Leia Organa last year, but her mental spirit was still the same.
The fight itself brought back painful memories- When she had escaped from
prison and reclaimed her status with the Empire, many insignificant troopers
had teased her of losing a battle by a woman that wasn't even a Jedi Knight
yet.
'Well, I'm sure that if I win once and for all my image will be
restored.'
She watched the screen showing the secrets the hidden cameras kept,
and a plot began to form. Organa and Skywalker crept around the base, searching
for a way to get inside. Discouraged after moments of looking, they headed
back to where they came from, making sure to make it was difficult for
anyone to follow them.
'Now, how to beat them,' she thought. 'It must be more ingenious
than last time. This plan can't fail.'
The images of trees an swamps surrounded her vision as she wandered
over to the large, comfortable throne that had been placed there for her.
The knock on the door did little to startle her, neither did the timid
voice that called, "Anything you need, Emperor?"
As soon as Leia and Luke had gotten back to Yoda's hut, Leia felt a
cold chill. It was haunting, almost, and it nagged her. Her brother watched
silently, and when she stood up, he said without looking up, "You have
to visit the cave, Leia," and pointed over to the spot where he had been
years before.
"What's in there?"
"Only what to take with you. You won't need your lightsaber."
Curiously, she jumped down into the hole where the cave started. It
was so dark in there she turned her back to the entrance and stared up
at the light at the top of the cave. It seemed as if a light had come on
from behind. Turning, she saw the one man who she had hatred for.
Anakin Skywalker.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. But the man did not answer.
It seemed as if he were a holoimage, projected in the light.
'How could Luke do this to me? I'll never be a Jedi if I keep getting
haunted by the past!' Angry, she picked up a rock from the ground and threw
it at the image, making it shatter. The emotion she felt afterwards hit
her, and she knew she had failed the test.
When she had walked back to Luke, she sputtered, "Why did you have
to trick me like that?"
"What you saw in the cave was a projection of your fear. You did not
pass this test, Leia." Luke replied dully, watching her as she climbed
into her small bed.
"I'm going to sleep."
"It's still early."
"I don't care, I'm tired. Wake me up tomorrow morning and we can find
out what the base is doing here." Leia replied and flinched as she heard
Luke stomp out. She didn't sleep, though. Thoughts of victory had been
squashed from her mind, and depression washed over her. Leia's hands traveled
to the bag she had brought with her, and she pulled out a small photograph
of her and Han at the beach two years ago. 'If Han was here he'd understand,'
she thought bitterly. 'No, if I could become a Jedi, then.. Then what?
I can't go back to politics. What will I do?'
Luke's thoughts were along the same lines.
Thoughts flashed across his eyes, all of them of Leia losing
her temper- which was quite often. "Leia had problems accepting her heritage,
so of course it's going to be difficult for her. It was difficult for me,
as well, but I got over it eventually. But I knew there was nothing I could
do, while Leia has gotten everything she always wanted. Knowing that she
can't change something would naturally be hard," he muttered to himself.
He, like his sister, was beginning to wish he had some company along to
talk to. Even Artoo-Detoo would do.
But being lonely became the least of his problems when he thought
of another alternative to the image of an angry Leia- His sister turning
to the Dark Side...
The twins barely said a word to each other as they walked through
the jungles of Dagobah the next morning. Sweating and out of breath, Leia
sat down next to a tall tree. Leaning back, she expected to meet bark,
but instead there was a hard substance.
"This isn't a tree, Luke. This is metal."
"What?!" Luke ran his hands against the tree, then tried the
others on the row. Sure enough, they were machines. "This must be a wall,"
Luke said and ushered Leia to follow him. When it ended, Luke pushed against
it and fell to the ground when the wall moved. He stared at the sight-
There was a large town, full of mechanics and although clearly a poor community,
was beautiful. Streams of light escaped through the hard texture of dirt
above the town, and while the town itself was an amazing sight, the people
were poor and hunched over.
"Come on. We'll have to find out the deal behind this whole thing,"
Leia said. She started to walk over to a cantina, but was jerked back.
"What are you doing?"
"We'll have to be disguised." Luke rummaged though a small vehicle
parked outside the cantina and picked up two outfits for them to change
into.
"Are you kidding? Those outfits are filthy."
"Well your clothes aren't that tidy now that you've been though
the jungle!"
"Yeah, but my outfit is comfortable and in style." Luke just
rolled his eyes and tossed her the costume from behind his back.
When he had turned around, she had changed into the light blue
suit.
"I was thinking something in a plaid..." Luke began, and ducked
out of the way to avoid the boot thrown at him. "Sorry." He cleared his
throat. "It's your walk. Well, you walk like.. A princess. Not a miner.
Hunch over. Nah, still too tense. There." He picked up a big clump of dirt.
"What do you think you're doing?" She knocked the dirt and it
landed on the ground with a loud thump.
"You're too clean." Luke argued. The princess picked up a little
dirt and smeared it over her face, making sure to erase every trace of
makeup.
"Good." Luke reached out to tousle her hair, causing the perfect
braids she had to come apart. "That's better."
When they had settled down in the booth inside, Leia said, "Just
what exactly are we looking for?"
"The question is- What are you not looking for?" a man said.
He smirked at Leia's startled expression. "There's too much junk in this
town. If you dare call it a town." He had the swagger and confidence of
a smuggler.
"Excuse me, but this is a private conversation," Leia said coolly.
"*Excuse me, but this is a private conversation.* I don't need
to take that kind of talk from a miner."
"If you think I'm going to sit here and be insulted-" Leia began
angrily, but Luke slapped her across the face. Leia's hand flew where she
had been hit.
"I always have to slap her down like that when she gets out of
line." Luke explained.
The man nodded knowingly, but still had an amused gleam. "Strange-
She's a miner, yet her nails are perfectly manicured." Luke glanced alarmingly
at her nails. They looked like they had never seen hard labor. He was for
once glad of the years he spent on the moisture farm, for all the work
had made his hands tough and covered in calluses.
"Well, she's my servant. A lady servant, because that's all I
can afford."
"You know what I believe? I don't believe at all that she's your
servant. I know you're not from here."
"Will you keep it down!" Leia said.
"Don't be so uppity, Girl." He sat down next to her. "Besides,
I can help you two. It's obvious you won't survive a day around here. Or
you'll be put in prison with the Imps, or worse. Why don't you tell me
who you really are."
Luke nodded, but hesitated before he got up. "Tell us who you
are, first."
He eyed him suspiciously. "Name's Dole Col. Smuggler and pirate."
"For?" Leia prompted.
"Whoever pays the most." he said, grinning. 'He has good looks,
I'll admit that,' Leia thought, then caught herself. 'What am I doing?
I'm comparing him to Han. He does remind me of him, though.' "Are
you all right?" Luke asked. She gave a curt nod. "Let's go. I can't stand
this place any longer." then motioned over to some bartenders that kept
glancing their way, using it as an excuse for her mixed-up feelings.
The trio walked along the wall where they had found the entrance,
and pushed, avoiding any stormtrooper's attention.
That night around the tents, Leia walked over to the place
where Dole was sitting and sat down next to him. She checked to see if
Luke was asleep before whispering, "Why are you here? A smuggler doesn't
choose a place like this and stays."
"You don't miss much, do you?" he said sarcastically. "No, I'm
not here by choice. I was smuggling goods, and I was captured by the Black
Sun. Luckily, I wasn't made a miner. An old man sheltered me and I've been
hiding under his roof until now."
"What's he gonna think when he realizes you've gone?"
Dole shrugged. "He'll think I'm dead- or worse." He acted like
he didn't care, although Leia could see through it. She had been there
herself. "What about you, Girl? What's your story?"
"My brother's a Jedi, and I quit my job and followed him
here. That's about it." Leia said. "Oh, and don't call me Girl- My name
is Leia."
With that said, they went to sleep, contemplating on the
friendship that was formed that night.
The following day Leia kept beside Dole, hoping to find
a glimmer of something showing through the seemingly unbreakable mask he
had for a face when they came to the machine. Dole grimaced, ever so slightly,
as if he was going to face something he dreaded. It was then Leia got her
first suspicion....
The Emperor sat down in the tall, metal silver chair, designed
to be a replica of Palpatine's. In fact, the whole chamber room was designed
to look exactly like the room on the Death Star II, except the obvious
space problem, which cut down on some details. Still, the coldness and
unspoken threat hung in the atmosphere. 'Soon I will be the most powerful
woman in the galaxy, and no one will dare defy me. Even if it means the
only way to get it is to become the heartless monster Palpatine tried to
be. The difference is, I won't lose trying to kill a Skywalker'. Robin
thought proudly.
She stood up restlessly, and out of boredom walked down
the hall to the interrogation center. The screams of the reporter from
Coruscant echoed through her mind, ringing, as she door slid open. She
sat down across from him, silencing the noise.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I told you, I came here on business-"
"Liar!" her shout echoed. "Why don't you tell us the truth?"
It was obvious he had been told not to speak, but 10 hours
of interrogation can really weaken a person. "All right... Everyone in
the office was suspicious when Organa quit her job, and we knew there had
to be a reason behind it. So I had to follow her. I was the best reporter,
why was it me.." The last bit he murmured, as if talking to himself.
Robin nodded. "I know how tough that can be. Unfortunately,
at least for you, no one else will be able to hear your ill-fated trip
of triumph- At least no one who cares the least bit." she turned her back
to him and said to an officer, "Send him on a ship first thing."
"Where to?"
"Kessel."
The reporter's pleas however fell on deaf ears,
for Robin turned her back, knowing she had more important things to plan.
Leia separated herself from the guys when they had broken into
the ship. Luke hung onto her until for a minute or two when she decided
to venture off. Just be careful. He messaged over to her.
Hey, you know me.
Yeah, that's why I'm telling you to be careful.
Even though she was a bit nervous, Leia felt the thrill
and excitement of facing the battle that would decide if she was a Jedi
or simply.. nothing. Nothing was what she'd be if she came back to Coruscant,
with no job, no-
Crash.
She scolded herself for not being more careful.
Robin had somehow snuck up on her without her knowing it. She'd have to
pay closer attention from now on.
Leia flung out her red lightsaber from her belt, and defended
herself, strangely having mixed feelings over the thrill of her first test,
and nervousness. Robin must of known it, for she smirked.
"Knowing you're going to lose, wanna-be?"
Anger allowed her to strike back with force. "You won't
look so smug after you lose," she hissed.
"How will you manage that?" Robin knocked her down on
the ground.
"Well, I believe things will look up once I do this."
Leia swung her legs so her rival was knocked down, and she stood up, about
to strike her lightsaber down to kill, when Robin rolled into the dark.
"Coward!" Leia said irritably. "Why don't you face me?"
Luke's voice sounded off, Leia, I won't be able to
help you now, I'm sorry. The door locked me in, and I don't have my lightsaber
with me. She could tell he was cursing silently because he had refused
to bring weapon- It was up to her, he had said.
Don't worry, this will be easy, she replied, but
still felt like it was too early to be cocky.
And she wouldn't felt self-assured at all if she knew what Dole
was doing at that moment...
Dole felt a twinge of regret for betrayance, but only a
twinge. Luke and Leia were all right, it was just too bad they weren't
Imperials.
Robin's voice came over on the comlink, "Have you done it yet?"
"I'm just about to. In thirty minutes, the alarm will ring for
the power overload in the upper levels."
"And with Leia dead thanks to me, Luke will be trapped and destroyed,"
Robin said, her voice surging with triumph.
Leia could hear the faint sound of Robin's voice,
she knew she was close. When her voice stopped, she calmed her nerves and
focused on where she could be. Luckily, she swung around to defend an unfair
shot from behind.
"So, do you get anywhere without cheating? Or is that how you've
managed to survive until now?" Leia said, her voice taunting. But she knew
Robin could tell she was beginning to feel tired and stressed out already.
The lights started to flick, then they went out.
"Idiot, can't even figure out the electricity," Robin was heard
to mutter.
Finally, Leia began to figure it all out, and got a boost of
adrenaline. 'Why that jerk, Dole... I can't believe that I, that
Luke and I could trust him for one second! Why didn't I realize it?'
Her lightsaber swished in front of her challenger's face long enough to
give light on Robin's face. It was twisted with fear. Then the light traced
down to the woman's arm, which soon disappeared with a cry of anguish.
Robin ran off, too quickly to follow. When the lights were back on, she
was gone.
'It's too bad she's not dead. But I'll have to wait, perhaps
soon the mission will be completed.' With that thought she ran to where
she had last heard from her brother.
"Leia!" Luke exclaimed. He saw no sign of emotion on her face.
"What happened back there?"
"I got her arm, but that was it. She ran off too fast, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, you did your job." He said, trying to hide the
slight disappointment in his voice.
"How are you going to get out?" Leia asked, desperate to change
the subject. "Back up," and she swung her lightsaber, which went through
with success.
"What are we waiting for?"
As they neared the corner, Luke held back his sister. "Someone's
coming," he mouthed. Dole and Robin- What a pair. Leia jumped in front
Robin, giving her time to accept her challenge, and pull out a weapon.
She could feel her brother's eyes on her back, and knew this was her test-
If she could defeat her once and for all, she'd be a Jedi.
You may not believe it, but that's what happened.
It was a short time later that Dole was being led forcefully
to the control panel.
"You don't understand- I liked you guys, I really did." Dole
began.
"Like we care. It's a little too late for apologies. Now, tell
us how to create a power overload, nice and slowly. No kidding around,"
Leia threatened.
"How do you know I won't tell you the wrong thing?" he said
tensely.
"Because, A- I have computer skills, and I know enough to get
around, and B- Any bad alarms, and bad signs, and you'll be dead immediately."
Wisely, Dole decided to believe her and gave the word.
"Sorry to have to do this to an old friend, but we can't have
you following us," Leia said, shoving Dole into a small room. "Let's get
out of here."
When they were back at Yoda's hut, there wasn't much conversation
until Luke said, "How does it feel, Leia?"
"How does what feel?" Although she knew perfectly well. But
this was one thing that would never get old to hear.
"To be a Jedi."
~~~
Yay! I can't believe I finished it!!! Please write down any comments
on my story -praise is greatly, greatly appreciated ;)- below. By the way,
please ignore the 'lightspeed' hidden up there.. People have flamed because
of that, hopefully you wont.
Signed, Callista Loveday.
