It is the first and only time I will ever have my daughter alone and safe with me. Together the two of us are curled up in my chambers playing random games while Senator Organa is at a political function. It's not that I mind, I really don't. It only bothers me that maybe I was wrong in assuming that Leia was like her mother.
Until recently I believed that all royalty and dignitaries were naturally graceful. My daughter, who painstakingly tried to explain the finer points of ballet, proved me wrong. Which is what all of the before mentioned learned how to be so graceful.
It took three hours for her to summarize what ballet did for these kinds of people. Mostly it was for balance and composure; later on it would be used for teaching the future rulers how to keep a serene smile on their face while doing a difficult move. It reminded me of how the Senators could handle such shocking news with such lighthearted grace.
That was why I could see Padmé within her eyes and smile, but underneath, the only thing that belonged to Padmé was the girl's ability to analyze and read the game of politics.
The rest was all me.
I first noticed it when I was teaching her to play a card game called Sabacc. Though Bail was cautious of it, I thought it was a great was for Leia to learn how to call a man's bluff and tell if they're lying or not.
That was why we were in my pressurized chambers; so I could take my helmet off and she could see my face freely.
She smiled when she first saw my face; she's wanted to see it since she was seven. I told her that once she was able to read me eyes and detect a lie then we could use the voice modulator to test her further.
That was the next hint. She relishes the chance to prove you wrong, regardless of what it was. Mostly because she was an inspired child in a male-dominant society. She even reminded me a bit of myself when I was a padawan; I hated lectures, and she hates them even more.
What finally convinced me that I was wrong was the way she played Dejarik with me.
I honestly felt like I was back in the Clone Wars, where we had to analyze every move before we actually made one. Unfortunately neither of us had the upper hand, both of us being Force-sensitive. Not that I mind, it just made me focus more.
Way more.
It was a tie between the two of us; I had won five, she had won five, and some hundred more had ended as a stalemate.
So she was good tactician, which was good. It would keep her alive longer when she actually did join the rebellion. It was something we briefly spoke about: what her plans for the Rebellion would be, what she hoped to bring to the Rebellion.
I made the mistake about asking her about her views on the Force. Her statement actually shocked me! I thought she would be pro-Jedi and anti-Sith.
"I don't believe in sides. If the Force is around us and within us as you say then it is the person's choice of how he or she uses it. A person should be responsible for his or her actions regardless of whether he is a Jedi, Sith, or non-sensitive."
I had to give her that, mostly because she was right. We did however talk about other things like political leaders and high-ranking officials.
The kid could hold grudges just as well as her father. I was even more pleased to learn that the only person he hated more that Palpatine was Governor Tarkin. Apparently the Grand Moff grated so badly on her nerves that she orchestrated his most recent embarrassment at a social gathering a week ago, and was never caught.
She told Bail on the way home, but she didn't get in trouble. I thought it was rather funny that Bail had actually suggest that she tried getting all the Moffs at once, mostly because her recent stunt was the reason for her being with me tonight.
She's devious, manipulative, and cunning. Definitely my child. I actually felt bad for Bail; Leia was only twelve. What would happen when she discovered boys?