Chapter One
Siria Keray took on the most dangerous deception of her life when she switched places with Leia Organa during an attack on their consular ship, the Tantive IV. Siria, never far from the Princess's side at any time, gunned down two stormtroopers before they could capture Leia, who had already taken out a third.
"Siria!" the Princess gave a cry of relief to see her behind the stormtroopers.
"Let's get out of here before their friends come looking." She grabbed Leia by the hand and abandoned that part of the ship. They found an empty passageway and Siria pulled off her uniform, throwing it at Leia, "Put on my uniform and give me your gown. Did you get rid of t he plans?"
"I gave them to R2-D2 along with a message for General Kenobi." Leia was quick to change and once they were in each other's clothes, Siria twisted her hair into the style Leia wore as a Junior Senator of Alderaan in the Imperial Senate while Leia pulled her hair into the double-braid Siria wore as the Princess's personal bodyguard and decoy. When they were finished, no one could have told you which girl was Princess Leia and which one was her loyal bodyguard Siria Keray, the girls looked so much alike. They made their way through the ship to the escape-pods, and there they parted ways.
"It should be me, Siria!" Leia hugged her tightly, "I don't want you to get hurt!"
"No, Leia, let me do this. Go find help on Tatooine. My signal-jammer will keep you safe until you reach the surface."
"They could kill you, Siria! I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you!"
"Don't worry about me, worry about yourself! I'm just a decoy, Lil, a game-piece for the Alliance. You're too important." She heard the fighting growing closer and knew her time was short.
"You're my best friend, Siria, I don't want to loose you."
"We're running out of time, Lil, go!" She pushed the girl into the escape-pod and slammed the safety-door's controls. The pod ejected and she went to face down a very different fate. Knowing Leia was safe for a little while longer gave Siria the courage to carry through in the other girl's place.
It wasn't long after Leia escaped that Siria was taken hostage by stormtroopers. They cornered her in an alcove in another of the many empty hallways.
"There's one!" the leading trooper shouted, spotting Siria in her hiding place, "Set for stun!" Siria stepped from her hiding place and shot the trooper with the pistol she'd stolen from a dead Rebel trooper. Turning, she tried to run but they brought her down with a stun-blast. The stormtroopers inspected their quarry.
"She'll be all right." The one kneeling at her side looked at his companions, "Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner."
Meanwhile, Leia's escape-pod had reached Tatooine. The crash sent a spray of sand several feet into the air, and smoke billowed from the damaged craft. Luke Skywalker saw the whole thing happen on his way home from Anchorhead, where he had failed to convince his friends at Toche Station that the two ships sitting in orbit had been firing on each other not very long ago. No one believed him, which shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to the irrepressible farm boy. Even his best friend had called his bluff, and that's what hurt the most. But the trail of smoke from the pod as it streaked across the sky followed by the signs of impact was enough to jolt his mind from the self-depreciating gloom. He whipped his battered landspeeder around and hit the accelerator. Something had happened up there! There really had been a battle! Too bad Biggs had left so quickly, eh? When he reached the impact-site, he jumped out of the speeder and skidded down the slope of the dune to the pod, "Hey! Hey, anybody down there? Are you alright?" As he neared, the hatch blew out and a girl emerged in a tumble of limbs. Luke ran around to her and dropped to his knees, "Hey, are you alright?" The pod looked damaged, like it had been shot at and the shot had just barely missed blowing it to pieces. These things had no shielding, and a damaged pod was a dangerous craft to be in.
"Don't let them…find me." she gasped before loosing consciousness. Startled, Luke scooped the girl into his arms and climbed back up the dune, sliding under the extra weight, and finally got to his speeder. He put her down in the backseat and hopped into the driver's seat, gunning the accelerator. He had to get her out of the sun, and that cut on her forehead needed to be taken care of. All of that he could do at home. Home! What would Uncle Owen say when he showed up with a strange girl in his arms? What could he tell them? A lie? He didn't want to lie, but he knew the truth was worse in this case. I hate lying. Of course, when he had to tell his aunt and uncle, who weren't actually related by blood, the story came out so smoothly he was surprised with himself.
"Where did you find her, Luke?"
"Out in the desert, miles outside of Anchorhead. I think she was attacked by Sand People and left for dead, but I can't imagine what she would have had of any value to them."
"They don't care about anything, they'd shoot their own kind on a whim." Uncle Owen spat, "Get her inside out of the sun, and get your aunt to find the medi-kit."
"Yes, Uncle Owen." He carried the girl inside and called for his aunt, "Aunt Beru, I need the medi-kit!"
"I'll find it, Luke, you put her down on the table." Aunt Beru tossed a blanket over the table and Luke set his burden down. She was beautiful, and if one considered Luke's local prospects, she was a whole different breed of girl from Camie. He wondered if she had anything to do with the battle he'd seen earlier, if she was the only survivor. He would find out soon enough, he figured.
Leia recalled only blue eyes framed by sandy-blonde hair and a sun-tanned face before loosing consciousness, and was surprised to regain consciousness and find herself alone in a small room. She wasn't dead, the aches in her body were testament to that, but she wasn't sure if she was in the company of friends or enemies. She sat up slowly, wincing as it agitated her ribs. None had broken or cracked, but they were certainly bruised. She pulled up her shirt and studied the dark bruises with dazed fascination. She leaned against the cool adobe wall and closed her eyes, breathing as deeply as she dared. What had become of Siria? Had the Empire captured her? Leia knew Siria would never ever betray her or the Alliance, but that didn't make her feel any better about leaving the girl to a certain fate of torture and eventual death. The Empire would have no use keeping her alive if they thought she might not have the information they needed or if she had lied in whatever she told them.
"Hey, you're finally awake." A soft male voice from the doorway startled Leia and she turned her head to see a sand-dusted young man standing in the doorway, just a touch of awkwardness in his stance. She recognized his eyes first and smiled.
"I know you, you're the one who rescued me out in the desert."
"Yeah, I saw your escape-pod crash." He gave an uncomfortable shrug, "I wasn't going to leave you out there for the Sand People or a landing party."
"Thank you. What is your name?"
"Me? I'm Luke Skywalker." He came a little further into the room, still very unsure of how to act around her. She settled against the wall, sensing nothing but goodness in this stranger's heart. Clumsy goodness, it was kind of cute.
"Luke Skywalker, I'm Siria Keray." She gave her best friend's name instead of her own, not knowing exactly why or really caring.
"Siria Keray. I've never heard a name like yours before."
"And I haven't met anyone named Luke Skywalker, either. Sit down if you want to."
"Oh, I-I was just coming to tell you that Aunt Beru's fixed dinner if you're hungry."
"Thank you, that would be nice." Leia got up and held out one hand to Luke, who obviously had no idea what to make of the girl in his house, "I don't bite, I promise."
"S-sorry." He stammered, giving his hand and leading her out of the small bedroom. The meal was quiet, and for all that they had to be quite curious they didn't ask any questions of her. If only these good-hearted people knew what kind of trouble she could bring to their doorstep. There was no doubt the Empire would do anything necessary to recover the missing data-tapes. She didn't want them harmed because of her actions, but there was nothing she could do.
That night, Leia slept in Luke's small bed while he slept on a cot in a spare room. Her dreams were dark and troubling and when she woke the next morning, she found Luke beside her. Both arms were around her, and she wondered if he had come in during the night to offer comfort in her sleep. It was touching, but Leia knew she couldn't offer him any false hopes. If poor Luke ever found out who she really was, it would break his simple heart. His bumbling ways were endearing, like his hands and feet were a few sizes larger than the rest of him, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do around a girl. Leia closed her eyes and went back to sleep, and when she woke up the next time Luke was gone as if he'd never been. Only the warmth in the mattress and a lingering scent on the pillow reminded her of her first morning awakening in the quaint homestead. She got up and inspected herself in the mirror, grimacing at what she saw.
"I look awful." She muttered, twisting to look over her shoulder as she turned her back to the mirror, "Ugh." The cut on her forehead was almost fully healed, and she touched the bandage-strips gingerly.
"You look a sight prettier than Luke's friend Camie." The voice of Luke's homely Aunt Beru startled Leia and she whipped around to see the older woman standing in the doorway, an armload of clothes in her arms, "She's not very pretty at all."
"Who's Camie?"
"One of Luke's friends at Toche Station. Her boyfriend's a real bully, always picking on Luke. They all do it, it hurts him a lot but he doesn't say anything to us." Aunt Beru set the clothes on the bed, smiling warmly, "I found some old clothes that might fit you."
"Oh, thank you. Please, don't think I'm complaining. You've all been so kind to me."
"Out here, Siria, we take care of each other." Beru gave Leia one of those knowing, motherly looks, the one warning her to be gentle with Luke, "Luke's heart is in the right place, he's just awfully shy around girls."
"Where is he?"
"Owen is purchasing some droids for farmwork, and Luke went with him. They're topside if you'd care to go, I personally don't care much for Jawas. They're such slimy creatures." Beru left her alone and she picked through the clothes. It was obvious that Beru had never worn these clothes, she was of stockier build than whoever had worn them before. She finally settled on a pants-and-tunic set with a surcoat in earth tone shades. Braiding her hair, Leia went out in search of Luke.
"Oh, Siria! If you're going, can you make sure Owen buys a droid that speaks Bocce?" Aunt Beru called up to her as she passed the central plaza pit. She looked at the line of droids by a massive vehicle that dwarfed its operators and grimaced.
"I don't think there's going to be much choice, but I'll remind him." She headed to the two farmers holding a discussion with strange be-robed aliens who didn't even speak Basic. Leia closed one hand over the back of Luke's tunic, shying away from the Jawas.
"Oh, good morning." Luke offered a sweet smile, "You didn't have to come up here."
"I'm supposed to remind your uncle to find a droid that speaks or understands Bocce."
"I'll tell him." Luke departed to pass on the word from Aunt Beru. For all that she had only been with them for one day, it felt so right to call them Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Uncle Owen was a little rough around the edges, hardened by a life scratched out of the harsh Tatooine desert, but he had a good heart. Aunt Beru was the gentling spirit to her husband's harsher tendencies, and together they looked after Luke Skywalker. In him, Leia sensed a flighty spirit aching to spread his wings and fly free, an uncertain boy just coming into his manhood and still not quite sure what he was supposed to do around pretty girls. Luke struck her as a bit of a dreamer, an optimist. The Rebellion could use ten of Luke and twenty of his uncle. They ended up purchasing a chatty golden protocol droid and a stubby silver R2 unit. Leia bit back a gasp of alarm. It was R2-D2 and C-3P0, from the Tantive IV! If she was lucky, they wouldn't recognize her right away. C-3P0 just greeted her with a courteous "Good morning" before going on his way to the garage. Luke and Uncle Owen had a small argument concerning the two droids and Luke's desires to go into the nearby spaceport to visit with friends.
"You can waste time with your friends after your chores are done, Luke. Besides, you have company, it would be poor manners to run off to Anchorhead and leave Siria here on the homestead."
"She could…never mind." Luke gave up, "Come on, you two." Leia trotted after him, sensing a point of tension between Luke and his uncle. She perched on a workbench as Luke started cleaning the droids, feeling the first pangs of uneasiness. She recalled the protocol droid to be incredibly chatty and not altogether bright. But he was so preoccupied with the oil-bath he didn't seem to notice her all that much. She was alright with further anonymity, for all hell was going to break loose very soon. She could feel it in the air. Suddenly, a flash of light from R2's face interrupted her. Something Luke had done had tripped the recording mechanism and part of her message to Obi-Wan Kenobi looped over and over again. Luke watched it for a moment and looked at her.
"Siria, look at this. This girl looks and sounds just like you. Who is she?"
"Her name is Leia, she was on the Tantive IV with me."
"It sounds like she's in some kind of trouble. Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"
"No, I've never seen this message before."
"Sir, Artoo suggests removing the restraining bolt. It seems to have short-circuited his recording mechanism."
"Oh, well I guess you're too small to run off on us." Luke removed the bolt, only to have the message disappear. Leia heaved a sigh of relief. Aunt Beru calling them to dinner interrupted Luke's argument with C-3P0, a distraction for which Leia was grateful. They left Threepio to deal with his suddenly amnesiac counterpart and went to the main house. Dinner was a tense affair, with Luke and Uncle Owen getting into an argument over Luke's desire to leave for the Imperial Academy next year and Owen needing him on the homestead to help with the coming harvest. Leia finally couldn't sit still any longer and fled the kitchen. She ran out through the garage and climbed onto the garage-dome, sitting there to watch the suns set on the distant horizon. She hugged her knees to her chest, buried her face in her arms, and cried. A princess was not supposed to cry, but she couldn't help herself. Luke found here there a short time later when he came looking for Artoo, who had apparently run off while they were inside at dinner.
"Hey, are you alright?" he climbed up next to her, "Was it something I said?"
"No." She shook her head, "I was thinking of Leia. She's in danger, Luke, and there's nothing I can do for her."
"There's not much any of us can do. Don't worry," he smiled and put an arm around her, "if Leia is anything like you, she can take care of herself." Leia sighed and relaxed into the friendly, supportive embrace. It had been such a long time since a boy held her at all that she welcomed Luke's shy touch. When Uncle Owen called them inside for the night, Luke cast a last withering look at the desert and Leia felt bad for him. He'd been the one to remove the restraining bolt and that had allowed Artoo to run away in the first place.
"Don't worry, Luke. You can find him in the morning, he can't have gotten very far." She coaxed him into the homestead, and they got ready for bed. An impending sense of doom kept Leia awake half the night, and around midnight Luke came wandering into her room. He couldn't sleep, either. Leia figured at least one of them might sleep better if they slept together, and surprised herself by falling asleep shortly after Luke joined her. When she woke the next morning, Luke was gone. Threepio was missing, as well, and Leia knew they had gone out to find Artoo.