How had they met? By chance, like everyone else. In the corridor of a battle station disguised as a metal moon, a princess first encountered a farm boy and scoundrel who came to release her from imprisonment. They would have never known she was imprisoned if the message intended for Obi-Wan Kenobi had not been diverted into the life of a young man who lived on the same desert planet where the aged Jedi Master had spent the past nineteen years hiding from the Empire. The young man left the planet with twin suns behind in the company of Kenobi and a not-quite-so-young-but-not-exactly-middle-aged Corellian who piloted a speedy junk heap toward the princess' home world that was destroyed by the battle station.
That was how Princess Leia Organa came into the lives of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Fate, the Force, a quantum fluctuation, or something without a name brought three individuals without homes or families together.
A breeze floated over the wide green field, interrupting Leia's reverie. It was late afternoon on Aeithera, a colony world first established by House Organa millennia ago which now served as home to the largest contingent of survivors left behind after The Disaster. The long, thick-carved Dalonian crystal wall sat in the midst of a public green space called the Cita dav Ilo, unmarked by any carvings; no list of names or numbers of the known and presumed deceased marred its perfect surface.
Perhaps it was a place for a new beginning; at least that was the general sentiment echoed by the Survivors' Committee during their recent meeting. Two years after the destruction of Alderaan and those fortunate few thousands who had been off-world scattered across the galaxy. The largest number of refugees had gathered on this world in the Colonies region. The Alderaani population on Aeithera was spread out across the globe, with a thriving community of the upper class living in the capital.
Leia remembered those same influential people who now ran the Survivors' Committee. Most of them made regular appearances at official functions held within the Aldera Royal Palace. The beauty of that one chamber (with its cut-crystal chandeliers, painted frescoes, and stained glass windows) was reflected in every other room of the palace. Even the gardens, enclosed orchards, and greenhouses were famous. Many kinds of fruits, vegetables, and flowering plants flourished under the careful attention of the horticulturists.
Everything bloomed within the influence of the Organas, not just within the palace but also everywhere on Alderaan.
But now everything and everyone was gone…especially her childhood family.
A ray of sunlight pierced the clouds, creating a glimmering ripple inside the crystal wall.
Orila Shard, one of the favored artists of the Organas, designed the memorial. It was meant to represent the light that Alderaan spread across the galaxy. The planet had disappeared into dust, but Alderaan's influence could still remain thanks to the work of artists, politicians, and ordinary citizens. All of those people were left behind and scattered far apart, yet united through loss into one spiritual and cultural family.
A hand rested upon her shoulder. "Are you okay?" Luke stepped forward with his gaze fixed upon the crystal wall.
Leia held back a little smile. "I'll be fine." One farm boy, one smuggler, a Wookiee, and two droids now formed the core of her adopted family. The Rebel Alliance had become her second home, although it was a theoretical space…but it still made Leia feel secure. Yet it was the little group she first met on the Death Star, along with the droids who had been part of her life since childhood, who formed the true center of her current existence.
"It's a lovely memorial," Luke said.
She leaned forward and traced her fingers across the smooth surface. "A bold statement hidden in plain sight without any obvious significance."
"Isn't that just like us? We hide from the Empire, yet we're always present."
"That's only been within the past two years. One major attack and then we retreated back into the shadows. The Rebellion spent too long in obscurity. Sometimes it feels like we'll never truly come into the light."
"Darkness can't hold us forever."
"You still have the ability to hope for a better future. I'm losing that as the years drag along." Leia pulled her light blue shawl around her shoulders. "Sometimes I can't feel anything but despair. What if this war never ends? Are we always going to be fighting someone?"
Luke's voice was gentle. "One day we'll beat the Empire. I promise."
Leia turned away from the memorial. "Only you could make a promise on behalf of the future."
"Since I'm a Jedi in training, that promise comes with a guarantee from the Force."
It had to be difficult to maintain that optimism after the losses he suffered both as a person and leader. Yet it was a shining beacon to everyone who came into his presence. Maybe a day might come when that idealism would be tested, but Leia knew it could never be taken from him.
She could never lose her faith in hope…so long as Luke and the other members of her little family remained in her life. "Are you ready to head to the spaceport?"
Luke nodded. "The hyperdrive motivator is still having a personality crisis, so Han and Chewie are trying get it fixed. But we should be able to lift off within a couple hours."
Leia smiled. "Something is going wrong. Just like always." She reached out her hand to Luke. "Shall we go?"