Author's note ~ Okay... the idea of the story is what would be different if Obi Wan had decided to switch the two children when they were babies, making Luke the prince and Leia the Jedi... it's all going to follow the film's pathway... maybe fuse the gaps together and tell a linear story, the situations will change of course as it goes on... Like on the deathstar... I don't think Leia's raging hormones would force her to save Luke. This will probably continue into the other two films... 'The Empire Strikes Me As Being Rather Odd' and 'The Recalculation of the Jedi' ;)
The triple suns fell behind the horizon on Tatooine, casting a pinkish light across the sand dunes. A slim figure touched the interior workings of the moisture vaporator and cursed sharply as the short circuiting board malfunctioned allowing a short electric shock to be delivered. The figure sighed and pulled the sand coloured hood down across it's forehead. The sand people would be out come nightfall and it wasn't exactly the best idea to be mooching about on the edge of the farm at that time. After a moment the figure bent and picked up the tools, marking the vaporator as currently non functional before heading out towards home. The Lars homestead was, like all of the neighbouring dwellings, half built underground, the white washed walls above reflecting large portions of the heat of the triple suns.
The figure reached one of the outer buildings and went inside to place the tools on the shelf next to the speeder. It was currently working quite well, the family had been working out how to place sand screens on the engine filtration units to stop it breaking down so often. An amused snort came from the body clad in robes, the reason why it kept on breaking down was because it was older than Owen and Beru's marriage certificate. After a time of quiet contemplation the person walked towards the farm after it reached the doorway it stopped and turned, looking up towards the sky.
'Leia?' The figure twitched slightly and pulled down the hood of the robe. Long dark hair was tied back sharply behind her head. Dark eyes glittered in the fading light. 'Leia? Is that you?'
'I'm coming Aunt Beru.' She pretty young girl said with a raised voice. She closed her eyes and sighed, before taking one last look towards the sky.
*
Luke frowned sharply as he ordered the crew to return fire on the Star destroyer that was gaining on them. They'd had no chance to jump to hyperspace and the ship had been following them for a good long time now. 'I think they're toying with us.' He said under his breath.
'You should go, Sir. If you're here when they come on board they'll make you a prisoner for sure.' Luke looked down at the pilot of this vessel.
'If I make a run for it they'll have me anyway.' He said with a frown. 'We can't let them have the plans.' He shook his head. 'Is there no way we can get those plans to the rebellion?'
'No Sir, They've engaged the tractor beam.' Luke frowned as he noticed an old Artoo unit beeping away in the background.
'I've got an idea, stall them, use any trick in the book, just keep us from being pulled in as long as you can.' With that simple command Prince Luke Organa strode from the deck of the ship indicating the Artoo unit to come with him. Luke grunted slightly as the ship was rocked from the laser fire that must have been streaking across the hull of the ship. He knew approximately where he was in the galaxy, the stop over around Tatooine had been an essential part of the course, they had been trying to throw off any pursuit, such as the one they had encountered. The irony flitted through Luke's mind for just a moment as he hunched down to start recording a message. The only person he knew could possibly help him on that godforsaken ball of dust the locals liked to call a planet. They had charted the course with such an emergency in mind, they all knew what they were carrying. Luke grinned faintly and made that, that those on board in the Rebellion knew what they were carrying.
He recorded a brief message into the Artoo unit and prayed that the Imperials wouldn't take the escape pod. 'Well little droid, you know what you have to do.' He patted the dome on top of the unit. 'Good luck.'
*
Leia stretched slightly as she worked the kinks out of her shoulders. She grinned satisfied at the slight popping sound it made, she'd always been good with mechanical equipment and she smiled as she replaced the fuse housing on the droid. Her Aunt had always told her, in the absence of Uncle Owen of course, that it was a skill she had inherited from her father, she paused in her work for a moment. She had often wondered about her family, her mother and father at least, she had heard many stories about her Grandmother from both her Aunt and Uncle. But they had both remained fairly tight lipped about her parents, she sensed that they hadn't lived up to their ideals, hadn't gone on to become hard working farmers. In her most impetuous moments her Uncle had berated her with the fact she was irresponsible and headstrong 'just like her father'.
She sighed as she switched the droid on and watched it beeping as it went off about it's chores. She raised herself to her feet and walked to the door to stare at the sky. There was so much she had never seen… and would never get the chance to see if her Uncle had his way. She watched a soft stream of light that lit against the horizon and closed her eyes. Leia looked back to her family home, it looked so small and inhibiting. She had always wanted to make something more of herself, to get out of this place and become… well… something. The truth was she didn't know what was out there, she had spent her life closed in on this farm without a hope for leaving it.
Of course she had big dreams, there wasn't a farm brat here who didn't. She and her friend Biggs had spent many years hours shooting through Beggar's Canyon. Until he had fulfilled his dream and had left her behind, he had fulfilled her dream too, truth be told. To go to the Imperial Academy, become a Pilot for the Empire. When she had asked her Uncle for permission he had… well there was no other words for it, he had thrown a fit. How they had managed to come to an agreement was a miracle in the shape of her Aunt. Leia would stay for the time being, pull in the harvest and go next year. She shook her head, tempted to just take off and leave a note, maybe make this years intake, catch up with Biggs and fight with him against the Empire's enemies. She frowned at that thought, the Empire had never really reached this far out, Tatooine was a rim world for very good reason.
Leia smiled, wondering if she was in fact like her father, or even her mother. Asking her Aunt or Uncle about them would result in recriminations and no answers. She wondered briefly what her life would have been like if they had lived.
*
Luke pulled his blaster out of his holster and fired on the storm troopers charging up on the deck. He knew that he would be taken captive, but, as with all his dealings with the Empire, he would make it as costly for them as he possibly could. He only hoped the plans would be safe, he had seen what they were going to be building, what they probably were already building. His father had agreed with Luke's decision for an early entry into politics, his consular ship and diplomatic immunity acting as the perfect front. Not that Luke had truly believed that the Empire was fooled, but as a member of the Alderaan Royal Family, they had needed proof before doing anything to him. Seems that they had it.
Luke grunted as a blaster bolt skimmed the top of his head. He could just imagine the debriefing of that soldier, Luke had no doubt he was to be taken alive. He looked towards the door, there were reams of storm troopers clouting through the door. Luke wondered briefly if he should actually be scared before dismissing that thought, he hadn't the time to cower. He looked at the power readout on his blaster, four shots to total annihilation. He took a moment and a few deep breaths, he had always been good at this, calling the target to him he called it. After a moment he peeled off four shots, one after the other and took solace in the fact he heard four separate bodies hit the floor.
*
Luke shrugged the hands off of his shoulders, he was wearing binders, he really didn't need to be dragged that way. He saw the dark imposing figure of the one person he could be truly said to be afraid of. The starkness of the outfit as compared with the walls of the ship and even the storm troopers made him seem even more imposing. Luke rallied well and raised an eyebrow. 'Darth Vader, I assume you have a good reason for attacking my ship?' Luke's gut tightened as he felt the full weight of the man's malevolence reach out to him.
'Your Royal status will not help you evade the facts of your treason against the Empire any longer.' Luke raised an eyebrow.
'I have no idea what you're talking about, you have violated my diplomatic immunity…' He was cut off, the strong emotion in Vader's voice giving him pause, he would do well not to push him. He had heard tales of what this man could do.
'You have no diplomatic immunity, rebel spies will be dealt with by the full weight of the Empire.' He leant away from the young man and gestured to the Storm troopers. 'Take him away.' Luke felt hands as they half dragged him from his ship, but his eyes remained on Vader. They had met only a few times before, but they had always been enough to make Luke fear him. It was really the question of that which he feared more, the galaxy under the rule of the Emperor, or facing down Darth Vader.
*
Leia watched the Jawas as they stopped outside the farm. It was always a regular occurrence that the tiny creatures came to the farm to sell droids and spare parts. Leia smiled as they began to trundle out the druids, a strangely good selection this time, as good as you can expect on Tatooine anyway. She considered for a moment and walked out to her Uncle, Leia had spent a while examining droids as part of her obsession with flying. She looked curiously at the little blue astromech droid, it wasn't really old enough to have made it's way out onto a backwards planet like this. She looked at her Uncle who was having a discussion with a gold plated robot over what languages it could speak. Leia sighed slightly, no matter how many droids the farm had she wouldn't be allowed to go, maybe it was time she accepted that.
She turned back towards the farm house but a loud bang stopped her in her tracks. She turned to look at the now exploded droid over her shoulder and she frowned as her Uncle started shouting at the head Jawa. She sighed softly and looked across at the line of droids, the next one had better not explode on her, she had enough to do before she got away from here. The little blue astromech was jumping up and down and Leia sighed, she felt for the little thing, to just get away from where you are going. 'Uncle Owen.' She called and then pointed to the little blue one. 'Why don't we give that one a chance?' He nodded and composed himself to talk to the Jawa. Leia gestured that they should follow her.
*
Luke sat on the couch in his cell quietly with his eyes closed. It was in these silent moments when he most felt at peace, when the universe slipped away and he was alone, only he wasn't alone. He breathed deeply. In the back of his mind he knew what was coming, he knew that the Empire was not yet finished with him. He was trying to prepare for it the only way he could. As the door to his cell slid open he prayed for the force to be with him, his father knew the force was real and had drilled that into his son, he just hoped it was real enough to support him.
'Have you let the Senate know that you are holding me?' Luke made certain that his voice was calm and controlled.
'The Emperor has disbanded that useless pocket of resistance left within the Empire just this morning.' Darth Vader's voice was like rough gravel and Luke felt his stomach tighten against the words, the senate was the only way that the people could gain any voice, muted and near silent as it was. 'But now, your highness, we shall discuss the location of the rebel base.' He leant forward towards Luke who's eyes were captured by the black probe droid as it began it's steady way into the room, floating on it's repulsorlift coils. Luke went to move backwards only to find he was held down by two stromtroopers. He cried out sharply as the first needle stuck into his skin.
*
Darth Vader swept from detention block, accompanied by Tarkin. 'I would not have expected him to be that resistant to the mind probe.' The voice unit gave his tone an unpleasant undercurrent.
'His will is remarkably strong.' The young Prince had let out only old plans of the Rebels and that only under remarkable duress. Darth Vader had sensed something of the young boy that made him suspicious through the torture. 'Maybe an alternative form of persuasion?' Tarkin looked to the black robed figure.
'What do you mean?' He asked sharply.
'Maybe if we are to threaten his home world, he is not that strong.'
Vader nodded coldly. 'Set course for Alderaan.'