Hello Everybody!

I'm finally back from my long hiatus! Trans-Atlantic moves are not the best place for the cooking up of stories, especially when your brother controls the computer. Well, now, hopefully I will update more! Anyway, the song in this chapter is Coming Home Part II by Skylar Grey.

Enjoy!

Oh, also, if anyone wants to suggest some adventures for Alana, go ahead and do so!

Review Replies:

Lady Arwen Prime: My Dear, it only gets worse for the poor girl. I feel for putting her through all this, I really do.

Slygrifflepuffclaw: That is QUITE the name! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy this story. And yes, Leia and Luke are Alana's siblings.

DVandson16: I love your favorite stories, especially Welcome to the club, but I have no idea what your review was supposed to mean. (becomes really small) Sorry. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Ten

Speaking My Mind

The morning after, Alana woke up dreading the coming day. Her heart felt like a rock sinking in her chest. Today, her father was coming home. Before all that had happened, she would have been jumping up and down, thanking God that she had a father, and if it weren't for one small thing, she would still be doing that. She feared what her father would say when she gave him her answer on the Force. She was so scared that her hands trembled. It wasn't that she knew that her father would take it badly; it was more that she didn't know how he would take it. But, despite all that weighed on her shoulders, she pulled herself out of bed, throwing on a pair of black pants tucked into black boots and a royal blue wrap top. She tucked her hair into a bun and grabbed her jacket that had been tucked away in her bag because it was cold outside.

In spite of her trepidation of the coming conversation, Alana still was a bit excited that her father, her father, was coming home. For so many years, she was shuttled between foster parents. Now, she had someone who would always be her father. That made the world a little bit brighter. Glancing in the mirror, she smiled. For the first time in what seemed forever, she looked normal. Had it only been a week? How could someone's life change so radically in such a small amount of time? She forced all of it to the back of her mind. She was going to meet her father and she'd be happy about it, not negative. With that firmly planted in her mind, she walked out the door and into the hall. No one was there, except a droid, a protocol droid. "Might I ask where are you going, Lady Vader?"

Alana smiled. Droids were, without a doubt, amazing. "I'm going to greet my father, umm?"

The droid started. "Oh, where are my manners? My designation is D-3PO, Human-Cyborg Relations, Milady. If I might say, it is hardly safe for a lady such as yourself to wander around a military base."

Giggling, Alana gasped, "My name is Alana, D-3PO, and I'm only going to the landing pad."

The droid, if possible, looked uncertain. "Lady Alana, might I ask, do you know how to get there?"

Past the giggling stage, she was laughing outright. "It's not Lady Alana, it's Alana, D-3PO, and I have an idea. If I think I'm lost, I'll ask."

The droid was apologetic. "I'm sorry, Milady, but my programming insists that I use your proper title. The landing pads are hard to find from here…"

Alana jumped at the pause to interrupt, "Do you know how to get there?"

Surprised, D-3PO said, "Well, yes, but…"

Smiling, Alana palmed open the door. "Then you can take me there!"

She stepped outside and disappeared around the door. D-3PO hesitated. "Milady! Oh dear, I wasn't programmed for this. Wait for me!" He followed her and the door slid shut.

Alana walked along the windows in one of the corridors, still amazed at all that went on the other side. D-3PO trundled along side of her. The walk had been a silent one. They passed some people, but not many, and those ignored her. Soon, she could see a platform where several people waited, milling about and talking. "Here it is, Milady!" announced D-3PO.

Smiling, Alana thanked him. "Thanks, D-3PO. I think I'll be fine from here." She shrugged on the jacket. Memories popped up about it, from asking for it to receiving it with patches included. Taking a deep breath, she strode outside and into a sharp, cold breeze that toke her breath away. With the opening of the doors, everyone looked and then stared. Fighting off annoyance, Alana said, "Good morning." And stood off to the other side of the walkway. She knew no one, so she kept to herself. Normally, she would walk up to someone and strike up a conversation, but now didn't seem right.

Suddenly, after several minutes, a high-pitched sound shrieked out and a shuttle came in to land. The end dropped down and Vader strode out. He passed through the others and then he saw her. "What are you doing here?"

Alana shifted from foot to foot. "Waiting for you." He continued inside. Alana sighed and followed. What did she expect? For him to hug and kiss her and tell her how much he missed her? She pressed her lips together to keep from bursting out laughing at the idea. That sight would be totally comical. Her head in the clouds, she didn't notice her father stopping and banged right into him. "Sorry."

Vader just looked at her before waving open the door. Alana immediately retreated to her room, not willing to have the talk right now. That hope was crushed when she heard, "Daughter, come here!" She pulled herself off her bed and entered the main room. Vader stood, back to her, watching a security screen. After what seemed like forever and a day, he spoke. "Tomorrow, I will begin your training. It is important that…" he trailed off as he felt a burst of emotion from his daughter. "What?"

Alana took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, but I can't do that."

Furious, he barked, "What? You will let some pathetic planet have hold over you? The Dark Side of the Force is the ultimate power in the Universe."

Now it was Alana's turn for her eyes to light with fire. "Maybe, yeah! Maybe I care about what I believe more than you do! Yes, I'm shackled to that 'backwater', maybe because that 'backwater' is right, not your poor excuse for a government!" As soon as those words left her mouth, Alana knew that it was the wrong thing to say. Before her father could say anything, she ran from the room, just wanting to get away before he exploded.

Alana just ran. She didn't know where she was going; all she wanted to do was get away from there. Halls, doors, turns, all blended together to her until she found herself in a garden. Exhausted, she plopped down in some bushes. "Why? Why am I here?" she screamed silently. "I don't understand him, he doesn't apparently understand that people have different beliefs. He at least doesn't respect them. I'm just trying to hold onto my sanity here! Ugh! I'd never have to deal with this if I was still home! I'd probably have to defend my beliefs, but not like this! This is ridiculous! I'm never joining the Dark Side ever! I don't even know if using the Force period is a good idea!" Alana just sagged. "I'm so tired of it all. I just want to go back home, live with Mary, go to college, get married, and have kids. I don't want to with all this. I don't have the strength. " Tears started to form. "Dad and Grandfather say Mom was so amazing. Maybe she wasn't, but if she was, I wish she was still here." She laughed bitterly. "I want my mommy." Now she just sobbed, releasing all the feelings that she'd kept pent up for the last month, both on earth and here.

Suddenly, a pair of arms encircled her. Alana struggled for a moment, but stopped when she heard, "It's just me, Alana." She opened her eyes to find Leia hugging her. She sniffled and laid her head on Leia's shoulder. "Thanks, Leia," she whispered.

Leia gave her a squeeze. "Not at all. What happened?"

Alana wiped her eyes and sat up. "Your part of the galaxy is insane, sorry, but not sorry."

Leia laughed. "What happened?"

Huffing, Alana began. "Apparently, I have this thing called the Force. Well, there's a Dark Side and a Light Side. The first is powerful and the second weak. My father wants to train me in the Dark Side but I have to use hate and anger and that sort of thing otherwise I'm using the Light Side. Of course, hate and anger is against what I believe in, so I told him I couldn't learn it."

"You didn't!" Leia gasped, shocked.

Alana shook her head. "I did. He didn't like it one bit and told me that I was being held back by my principles, so I retorted with probably the last thing I should have used. I told him basically that the Emperor is an idiot because I told him that Earth was right and that he had 'a poor excuse of a government'." Leia put her head in her hands. "I know. I just infuriated the second most powerful man in the galaxy about politics. I know, real smooth, Alana, real smooth." Alana and Leia groaned together, before laughing slightly. Alana suddenly had a thought. "Leia, do you know anything about someone named Padme?"

Leia frowned. "The only Padme I've ever heard of was Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. She died about the time I was born, but this is a huge galaxy, it's probably not her. Why?"

Alana shrugged. "Father said it was my mother's name."

Checking her comm, Leia sighed. "I'm very sorry, Alana, but I've got to go."

Alana waved her off. "It's fine. Thank you."

Waving back, Leia disappeared through the bushes." Alana sighed, not knowing what to do. After a few minutes, a song came to mind. So, she sang. "And the blood will dry underneath my nails. And the wind will rise up to fill my sails. So you can doubt and you can hate, but I know, no matter what it takes… I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Tell the world that I'm coming home. Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday. I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes…"

She didn't know it, but just then Vader walked in with the Emperor at his side. The man hushed his son. "Do you hear that?"

"I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming… Still far away from where I belong, but it's always darkest before the dawn. So you can doubt and you can hate, but I know, no matter what it takes… I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Tell the world that I'm coming home. Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday. I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming…" Alana took a breath and poured everything into her voice. "I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Tell the world that I'm coming home. Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday. I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home…" Her head snapped up as she heard a sound. She laughed. She didn't care anymore. Pushing herself up and brushing off her clothes, she pushed through the bushes, where she found her father and grandfather.

Holding up her hands, she just started to talk before either of them could make a sound. "Father, I am sorry for what I said. It was disrespectful and rather idiotic. You're my father, and as such, I owe you respect and obedience. But, I am not held to obey you if what you tell me to do is so completely and obviously wrong to me. I can't do it. " Alana bit her lip. "I truly would rather die. Which, I know, everyone says, but I… I can't do what you're asking me. Believe me, I'm over the moon that I have you. Every night, I would look at the sky and wonder if my parents were still alive. Why did they leave me? Was I a burden to them? Now, I know. It wasn't you. My mother loved me. I know you love me even though you've never said it. Maybe that's why while I know who… Never mind. Basically, why I'm so reckless. I honestly have no aspirations to greatness." She laughed. "The biggest one I've ever had is maybe getting into a top college or joining a ballet company. I wanted to humbly live my life out with a husband and children. I didn't want anything higher. Being a mother to my children is my idea of the greatest calling. Maybe I'd visit Europe, that's it." Her hands gestured around her. "All this! I'd never imagine existed ever! I love you so much because you're my father and nothing will ever change that and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. But I can't do what you asked of me. I'm sorry, but not sorry." She sighed. "There. I've said my piece. I'm done."

Please review! It makes me very happy and happy writers pop out more chapters! (hint hint)