I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters.
After hours of driving the desert eventually gave way to a small canyon surrounded by steep cliffs and broken boulders. Annikin brought the speeder to a halt. They had been driving for hours and everyone needed a break.
"We'll rest here in this canyon." told Annikin.
The droids were more enthusiastic about the unscheduled stop than either the princess or Jedi seemed to be.
"At last! This transport is welcome, but my joints are frozen." complained C-3PO.
"I've got a bad case of dust contamination. I can barely move." complained R2.
"What a forsaken place this is! We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life." muttered C-3PO.
C-3PO turned to the front seat to ask to be let out but the humans had already vacated the speeder.
"Sir, could you tell—? Where did they go? They've disappeared…" spoke C-3PO.
"Maybe they were attacked! I sense danger!" warned R2.
Unknown to the two droids was that Leia had dragged Annikin away from the speeder through a maze of large boulders, until they came to a sheer rock face.
"Come on slowpoke. The secret way is through there." told Leia.
Annikin saw still in doubt about there being a secret entrance to the hidden underground base so far in the middle of nowhere. But when Leia but her hand on a secret panel and a disguised door opened up to reveal a dark tunnel, Annikin thought her claims held some more weight to them.
"I hope you know what you're doing." said Annikin.
Annikin followed the princess into the tunnel. Lights on either side of the wall turned on automatically as the two passed. After nearly an hour of walking, a light began to emerge at the end of the tunnel. Annikin smiled to himself. He'd be glad to get out of this tunnel no matter where it let out. Leia turned back to the young Jedi, a sly smile on her lips.
"Now we'll see who's in charge." spoke Leia.
A figure emerged at the end of the tunnel. The figure was none other than General Skywalker. Leia smiled at seeing her old family friend, resisting the urge to run up and hug him as if she was still a young girl.
"General, I want you to do something with this…this barbarian. He's the most—" began Leia.
General Skywalker cut the princess off. Normally he would not do such a thing to one of the royal family, but these were not the time for formality. He had sworn to personally tell Leia about her father's fate before anyone else could tell the princess anything.
"I received your message, Princess Leia. But the king, your father, is dead…killed in an enemy attack. I'm so sorry." confessed Skywalker.
The colour immediately drained from Leia's face. This couldn't be happening. He father couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. This had to be a bad dream. A very, very bad dream.
"My mother…and brothers?" shakily asked Leia.
"The queen is here. Your mother is safe. So are your brothers. They're all in the main chamber." informed Skywalker.
Leia ran back into the main chamber, looking for her remaining family. Annikin watched as the princess ran passed him, tears training down her cheeks. Since the first time he met her, Annikin felt sorry for the princess. He knew what it was like to lose someone. His mother had died when he was a child and he had just lost his little brother.
XXX
Hours later, in the throne room in the hidden fortress, Queen Breha held an important audience with Jedi General Skywalker and Captain Annikin Starkiller. The two Jedi bowed before the queen and her daughter. The two royal women were dressed in long black gowns, each with a large circular fan behind their head. Annikin saw confused by why Leia sat on the throne before when while Queen Breha sat off to the side of the throne platform.
"The Senate has been corrupted." spoke Breha.
"They cannot rule without your wish." told Skywalker.
"I rule by marriage. With the king dead, I am not strong enough to stop them. Leia is now the true queen. She must be protected. The line must be preserved!" stated Breha.
Breha glanced at her daughter before looking back at the Jedi.
"General, you must deliver Leia and her brothers to the Ophuchi system. They will be safe there. General, the chrome companies on Ophuchi have offered to supply you with me and ships necessary to return Leia to the throne." calmly spoke Breha.
Leia was shocked that her mother wasn't going with her and her brothers. The princess—now queen—turned to her mother, her face stoic but eyes radiating with the feelings of fear and worry hidden just beneath the surface.
"Mother, you must not stay!" said Leia.
"I am too old for such a long journey. And it won't be easy. The Empire already controls the spaceport cities, and I must lead the evacuation of our palace home." informed Breha.
Breha turned from her daughter and back to Skywalker and Annikin. Skywalker looked from the old Aquilaean queen to the new queen he was now bound to serve.
"We will have to travel in disguise. No one must suspect wealth or royalty…and I must have full command. I fear the new queen will not stand for this." spoke Skywalker.
Leia rose from the throne, her lips twisted into a frown.
"Do not put words into me mouth! I will do what is necessary!" sternly spoke Leia.
Leia stepped down from the throne and embraced her mother for what might be the last time.
"Mother." tearfully whispered Leia.
"Go now. And may the Force of other be with you." reassured Breha.
Letting go of her mother, the new queen followed her Jedi protectors through of the throne room and her old life.
Sorry about the late update. Comment if you like the story.