Turns of Fate

Interlude

Leia woke to the sound of her mother talking to the handmaidens. She sat up groggily. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton and everything looked disorienting.

" Mother?" She called, her voice sounding sleepy. Her mother quickly rushed to her side.

" Oh Leia," She kissed her daughter, " Thank goodness you are alright. You just fainted so suddenly! Obi-Wan could not tell what had happened. He said you went through something like Force exhaustion!"

" Force exhaustion?" What was Obi-Wan talking about?

Wait—what?

" Obi-Wan is here?" Leia's stomach froze. " What is he doing here? Is Vader still here?" Oh no! What if the shields went down? What about Master Olin?

" Vader?" Her mother blinked. " Who is Vader, Leia?"

Leia stared at her mother like she grew two heads. " Darth Vader?" She then paused as she abruptly understood what happened. Before, the changes were slight. The only way to detect them were through news articles…nothing was big enough to warrant a more noticeable change.

Now, however, something had happened in the past to change things dramatically. Either Darth Vader does not exist, or Darth Vader is in hiding. The former seemed more plausible. But if Darth Vader did not exist, how come Breha Organa did not react when Leia called her 'mother'? Did something still happen to Padme Naberrie and Anakin Skywalker? And how come Leia not only could still remember the old timeline, but did not know of any other?

The latter question was probably easier to answer. She had that bond with Luke that is keeping her in check. Luke is definitely from the old timeline, and as long as he was out of sync with the actual chronology, both he and Leia were immune to the effects of change.

The former question, however…

" Is Obi-Wan here?" Leia asked, getting up from bed. " I need to speak to him."

While her mother took her to see Obi-Wan, Leia checked Luke through their bond. Her brother was still unconscious, but alive. She tried to wake him, but he seemed almost comatose. Force exhaustion. She thought. It is probably better for Luke to rest for now. Leia could use this opportunity to figure out what has happened.

Obi-Wan looked as Leia remembered from Luke's projections. His features were as weary from before, and his countenance solemn. However, his face lit up readily when he saw Leia.

" Your Highness." He bowed to her.

" Obi-Wan," Leia turned to the other people in the room, including her mother, " I need to speak with him privately, if that is alright."

Her mother, looking confused, reluctantly obliged. Once everyone had left, Leia checked to make sure they were truly alone.

" Obi-Wan, I am not sure how to begin." She said awkwardly. She managed to communicate the gist of what was happening, that she had come from an original timeline that had slowly been changing ever since Luke went to the past, but that something had happened to dramatically alter things and she was not sure what the history of this universe is anymore.

" I know your brother went to the past." Said Obi-Wan. " I remember him from back in the day, before you two were actually born, though I do not know what exactly happened to him."

" He is still in the past." Leia was certain of this. " Unconscious, but alive."

Obi-Wan nodded. " The last thing I remember was him going into Force exhaustion. We took him to the hospital. Your father was distraught and stayed with him as much as he could." He shook his head. " I am not sure where to begin either."

" Tell me from when Luke first appeared."

Obi-Wan recited the events that Leia knew took place. However, he mentioned certain things that Luke could not have been aware of. " After your mother discovered the nature of Order 66, she, your adopted father Senator Organa, and Senator Mothma went to their native planets to prepare reinforcements. Senator Mothma and Senator Organa correspondingly contacted various senators to probe which ones were trustworthy. We were able to gather enough of a force that when Order 66 was initiated, most of the Jedi were able to escape."

" And when was Order 66 initiated?"

" Directly after Palpatine was, supposedly, rescued by forces led by now Grand Moff Tarkin from Eriadu. Because of the Jedi's delay, he issued Order 66 with the argument that the Jedi had been the ones to abduct him, about two weeks before you were born. Luke was curiously absent from these events," Obi-Wan paused, " Though for some reason none of us noticed."

" That's because he's still in the process of changing the timeline. So Palpatine issued Order 66 two weeks before we were born? We had about five weeks…this gives about 3 weeks before the initiation of Order 66." Although…" Wait a minute, how long was I out?"

" You were unconscious for three days."

So, precisely three weeks. Leia thought. At least they were not unconscious for five weeks, then Luke would not have enough time to make sure their mother goes into labor. " So there is still an Empire?"

" There is an Empire. Days after he disappeared, Palpatine took over Coruscant again and established the Galactic Empire, and half of the galaxy was part of it. A full-range civil war began, with the Old Republic led by the young Mon Mothma and the Jedi Order, against the clonetroopers and the Imperials led by Palpatine."

Leia was confused. " So wait…the Jedi Order is alive?"

" The Jedi Order is much changed from what it was." Obi-Wan said quietly. " We lose so many Jedi that all Knights and Masters are required to take at least two padawans. The Jedi Service Corps had been eliminated since we no longer have students to spare."

" But the Jedi Order is alive." This meant…" So Master Windu is alive."

Obi-Wan frowned. " Yes."

" And Darth Vader?"

Obi-Wan looked puzzled again. " I am not familiar with that name."

" My father, Anakin Skywalker," Leia pushed, " He did not turn into Darth Vader, right?"

Obi-Wan considered this question for a moment, but he seemed to wonder why Leia was asking this more than how to answer. " No. He was among the first to fall from Order 66. He died a noble death." He went on gently. " He saved many younglings."

" So let me get this straight. There is an open civil war that is equal on both sides going on. There is no such thing as an undercover rebellion because there is no single government. Palpatine doesn't have my father as his apprentice, and the Jedi Order still exists and you people are not only not in hiding, but actively training padawans?"

Obi-Wan looked very confused again. Leia was grinning. " Luke managed to do it!" She exclaimed to herself. " Father never turned…he died a Jedi. The Jedi Order is alive, and changing from the old…the Empire hasn't taken over all of the galaxy. He did it. He has done it!" She grabbed Obi-Wan into a quick hug. " And my brother lives with me? He's not on Tatooine?"

" Tatooine?" Obi-Wan blinked. " Luke…"

" Oh!" Leia hugged Obi-Wan again, before running down the halls in an excited skip. " Luke has done it! Luke has done it! Luke has done it!"

" Leia," Obi-Wan held her at a distance. His countenance was solemn, and Leia felt her breath catch. Something was very wrong.

" The Republic is losing." He told her. " We lost a lot of us when you mysteriously fell unconscious. You were our only hope, Your Highness."

Leia blinked. It was his wording that bothered her, and it did not take long to figure out why. " Luke." She swallowed. " What happened to him?" Did Luke die? Was Luke dead? She could not bear it if her brother had died. No, no, not Luke. Not Luke. Please say that Luke is alive…

" After Order 66 was initiated," Obi-Wan sighed, " Your father perished at the Temple while the younglings were able to escape with the forces provided by His Majesty of Alderaan. Your mother was on Naboo, having gone there to inform the Queen of the situation regarding the clones. Palpatine found out she was there within two weeks and invaded Naboo. The planet was annihilated since all reinforcements had been dispatched to save the Jedi."

Naboo. Her mother's relatives were still there. " Oh Force…what happened then?" She whispered, almost afraid to know.

" Palpatine wanted to take an apprentice. Upon the death of Count Dooku, there was a vacancy. He chose the child of Anakin Skywalker, and kidnapped your mother from her homeworld. Your mother gave birth on the ship."

Shaking, Leia moved to the wall to brace herself against it. She had been born…alongside that monster…the thought was too terrible to believe. " How did I come to be on Alderaan, then?" She asked quietly.

" We were able to trace Palpatine's movements. Your mother was in labor by the time we attacked the ship. When we found your mother, she was giving birth to you. She died shortly from the stress. The King and Queen of Alderaan generously took you in." Obi-Wan closed his eyes. " I am sorry."

Leia stared blankly at the wall. " What about my brother?" She asked softly. " What about Luke?"

" Palpatine took off with him in an escape pod." Obi-Wan replied. " He is now a Sith apprentice. We knew of his whereabouts since you two were five years old, when you two became linked. You would often have nightmares caused by the link between you two, and the Jedi Council had to shield your mind until you learned to shield yourself. About a year ago, Darth Melanus was unveiled to the galaxy." The old Jedi's voice was filled with sadness. " He is tremendously powerful."

Leia shuddered. Of course he was powerful. He is her brother.

" The only person who could stand up to him was you." Obi-Wan continued. " You were the only one who had been able to keep the Empire from spreading too quickly, but spreading it is. It may only be a matter of time before darkness befalls the entire galaxy."

No. No. Anakin Skywalker going dark was bad enough. Not Luke. Not her sweet, playful, annoyingly immature yet resourceful and wise Luke. Luke was not like this. Luke pulled Palpatine's pants down. He was not going to then fall into Sidious's influence! If Luke was the one that turned, the old timeline would look like a walk through the park. Force, this is not happening. This is not happening!

Her brother woke up then. He was sleepy and tired. Leia?

Leia slid to the floor. She was too agitated to truly appreciate the sound of her brother's voice. The brother from the past. Her real brother. Luke, is that you?

She must have sounded distraught. Or perhaps Luke sensed her distress. Leia, is everything alright? Oh crud! Were you out? Does Darth Vader know? Did he sense you were a Force—

Luke, Darth Vader no longer exists.

" Your Highness," Obi-Wan bent over her. Leia raised her hand to placate him. " I am talking to my real brother." She said. Then she came to her senses. " He is still in the past. These present circumstances can be changed. Let me speak with him."

Obi-Wan settled back, preparing to wait.

Come again? Luke was saying. You mean Dad never turned?

He died before he could turn.

Luke was silent.

Luke, we have to fix things.

Well is there still an Empire?

Yes, but—

And you're alive and I'm alive? What about Mom?

Mom is dead, but—

Well it sounds like it isn't too bad then. Dad died but he died a Jedi. It's a lot better than dying as a Sith.

Luke, you're a Sith.

Yeah so I'm a—wait, what?!

Luke was in shock.

No way! There is no way I would ever believe that lying creep!

Luke, you had no choice. He took you as a baby.

Luke was silent again.

Drat. Did I at least have a cool Sith name?

Luke!

Come on! Humor me here!

The only reason Leia obliged was because she could tell Luke was as distraught as she was. Your name was Melanus. Darth Melanus.

Melanus?!! Luke thundered. What the heck? That does it! How come I couldn't get a rockstar name, like Darth Knockout, or Darth Carnage! Yeah, Darth Carnage would… He then trailed off. Dang…I sound like Dad and Obi-Wan.

I am not even going to ask. Leia said dryly. But suffice to say, having you as his apprentice is a lot worse than having Father as his apprentice. You are ten times more powerful than our father at least. And… she trailed off, unable to say it.

We are fighting each other, aren't we. Luke said it for her. Then, after a while, he muttered, Classic good twin versus evil twin. Well, if you tell me exactly what happened, maybe I can do something about it. Maybe even change things back…to the way they were…

I don't think you can. Leia said honestly. Something happened to make Father die for the younglings instead of kill them. The best you can do, I think, is to try to kill Palpatine while you're there.

Well, we know he's on Mustafar. Who rescues him?

Leia told him what Obi-Wan had narrated to her.

We are so doomed. Luke said to her after she finished. Like, several million different ways of doomed. So! One: Keep Dad alive. Two: Make sure Palpatine doesn't get Mom or us. Three: Kill the blasted corpse. We have three weeks? Right…and I don't know how to use a lightsaber. This is going to so much versions of— he ended with a Huttese curse.

You were planning on beating up the Chancellor without a lightsaber. What has you worried now?

Oh, it's not Palpatine I'm worried about. I'm worried about whether or not he is surrounded by Dark Jedi bodyguards. Alone in his office, fine. Surrounded by Dark Jedi who actually know how to use lightsabers; not so fine. Oh — he uttered another curse — but we can mind control our Dad! Kreth! Do you remember that? Oh man! We can Force suggest Force-sensitives! This is wild!

We also passed out from the effort. For three days, in case you did not know.

Ah…yeah. Uh, we won't use it unless we have to. And not twice in a row…

Leia glanced up at Obi-Wan. " Luke is going to take care of things." She told her friend and mentor. " I have to help him, however. I need to know every single detail of what happened in this timeline, starting from when Luke fell unconscious."

He nodded. It was strange how composed Obi-Wan always seemed around the twins. He truly was one of the greatest living Jedi. " It will be done, milady."