Chapter XXI: Goodbye Blue Sky

Princess Leia let out a long breath of relief as she saw the blue hologram coming from the rebel's droid. Her mind had imagined something too wild for it to ever be true. So she wasn't even mad by the rebel's actions, she was more than anything, confused. What was the woman trying to do to her?

"Those are my parents," Leia stated, never losing that confused frown from her face. "Why are you showing me this?"

The hologram showed Queen Amidala and Darth Vader; the Queen gave a speech while her husband stood tall by her side, quiet as dead, looking like a Dark Knight with his black garments and cold demeanor.

"Keep watching," the rebel sighed.

Leia did as she said. She observed, attentively; at first feeling warm love inside, having been so long since she last saw her family. She was enjoying hearing her mother's voice, watching her pretty face, as well as her father's strong countenance, but when she actually focused beyond mom and dad, she thought something was off. She couldn't really explain it… but something didn't feel right.

One of the first things that bothered her was Padmé's voice. It didn't sound like her melodic sweetness at all. It was strong, determinate, somewhat… dry; monotonous, cold, and almost—cruel. That was Queen Amidala alright.

And Anakin, the Emperor, didn't look like the usual image she had of him. Granted, Leia often thought him intimidating, certainly someone you wouldn't want to anger, but in this odd blueness, he looked absolutely—terrifying. There was a dangerous edge to his evil yellow glance. A cold shuddering sensation in those around him, he looked like—Leia hated herself for a moment as the thought reached her head, but he looked like death itself was manifesting in the form of a human shadow. That was Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, no doubt.

The old feeling, that one similar to fear, accumulated in her belly again, making her face look displeased. She wished she didn't see them like that; she wanted to think of Anakin and Padmé as her family, not political figures. And she could not tear her eyes from their image.

She tried to focus on other things besides them, so she looked at their surroundings, and almost instantly, she regretted it, as that action planted more seeds of confusion within her.

"Is that Coruscant?" Princess Leia muttered, shaking her head, confusion still reining her voice. "Are they in the Imperial Senate?" she wasn't really asking, but it sounded like she was. In truth, that seemed very unlikely.

In all her life, Leia hadn't ever known Padmé to be anywhere in the galaxy except Naboo. She was Queen Amidala after all! She was patriotic for her home-world. She never left her beautiful green and prosperous planet. That was more than her birth place, it was the place her family usually was in. Why would Padmé be in the Capital?

"That has to be wrong," Leia shook her head. "My mother never leaves Naboo!"

"And you find that okay?" came the response, unexpected as always, from Jule, the rebel.

"What?" Leia muttered.

"Do you think that's okay?" the rebel repeated. "Doesn't she, the Queen, have the responsibility as the Emperor's wife and second person with the most power and influence, to take care of the entire galaxy, not just her rich home-world?"

Leia redden in anger as again the rebel left her speechless.

"She seems angry," came the voice of the human man aboard the Falcon.

Leia fought every part of herself to not turn to face him, knowing he would find her displeasing.

Han was very much correct, though not entirely. It was true that Padmé sounded angry—enraged. In reality, she was deeply afraid. Yet her words made it seem like she was the one inflicting fear.

Queen Amidala was speaking sternly at the Imperial Senate, harshly stating that the Empire would use any means necessary to crush the rebellion. That threat probably shouldn't have shocked Leia as much as it did, as she herself would've employed similar words. But they felt very odd coming from Padmé—again, it felt off—wrong… unreal.

Had she heard those words from the Emperor, she would've remained fine, but as it is, she heard such harshness from her dear mother, the one person she always heard described by her father as an angel… and she had thought it true. Padmé was always so good, so kind, just so sweet… nothing like the strong, angry woman who was sick of the Rebel Alliance.

The hologram came from the day after Krennic broke the news of the princess's capture by the Rebel Forces.

"What's your point?" Leia asked, exhausted after her mother's speech became too dull and political for her liking.

"I wanted you to see a small glimpse of our rulers' true nature." Was the rebel's answer.

"And you were afraid I would kill you for showing me that?" Leia almost laughed.

"No," the rebel wouldn't allow any softness to return to her. "I have other things to show you…"

Han cursed, getting their attention. "Not another political speech!" he cried, annoyed.

The rebel's face gained a somber quality that shocked even the Sith's apprentice.

"This is from the siege," she muttered as she pressed several of her droid's buttons. "Of… when I got rescued."

Leia didn't realize but she started holding her breath.

She recognized, amidst blue blurriness, a dark city alley, and a frightened female face, one she knew was Jule's.

The woman was fighting, not just for her life, but for countless others; alongside the other rebel soldiers, Jule was skilled with a blaster, and she had already killed about a dozen stormtroopers, while the siege had started scarcely fifteen minutes ago.

She already looked bruised, there was much blood coming from a wound on her left shoulder, yet she would not stop; they'd have to kill her before she'd ever surrender to the Empire, and as much as she tried to hide it, her face showed she thought they were gonna succeed.

They were going to. There was no doubt.

The Alliance needed help; needed a miracle; it needed… hope.

Leia blinked many times and shook he head, fighting the images her mind—not her eyes— was showing her.

More stormtroopers appeared before her and her rebel friends, they fired as mercilessly as she had done. She had to blink away tears as she saw some of her friends hadn't been so lucky, and were already lying on the ground, becoming another corpse for the statistics that would later be made.

She took cover and hid behind a large trash can—feeling less than the mess inside it. She felt so small, so unimportant, so weak… she almost wished the troopers would find their aim already and finish her existence.

But then… she thought of her brother, her only family… though he was now old enough to be a man, and he was an important asset to the Alliance, Jule couldn't help but to still think of him as her little brother. She had guarded him during the horrible times the Republic endured during the Clone Wars, and she certainly wouldn't abandon him during this blasted Civil War.

But how could she help him? What was she, a poor girl from the low regions of Coruscant, against Darth Vader and his Galactic Empire? Against his army of stormtroopers? What difference could she make?

Well, she had killed a number of imperial men who wouldn't ever get the chance to rob an innocent of his life. That was at least something, wasn't it?

That's at least what the Alliance's Secret Weapon keeps telling her.

It was more than a hologram, Leia was almost sure… someone was putting the images in her head so that she could see them, as clearly as if she had been there witnessing it…

She could even feel the emotions of that dark awful night, she could hear Jule's deepest thoughts; unaware of how that wasn't even one of the worsts nights caused by the powerful Anakin Skywalker…

Where is he, anyway? Jule felt frustrated as the loud sound of blasters rang in her ears. She, like every other member of the Alliance understood, or at least pretended to. He needed his time to train… to meditate… to keep himself in the Light, but as he was away, the rebels desperately needed their biggest and almost only hope.

The noise the battle brought was now the least thing bothering Jule, as the screams from civilians covered the air—it was enough, too much! She had to get out of there!

She ran, took cover and fired, praying to the Force to allow her at least more time to be of use.

When she was exhausted, she comforted herself with the fact that she had killed a great number of imperials; prepared for what was about to come, she ran across the streets, defending the unfortunate civilians that got caught in the conflict. She was sure her time had come. She saw the fire coming directly at her, but startled at first, she saw how the blaster fire swooped towards every direction in the air but her own. Behind the reddish glow, she saw another one. One that was green like an emerald.

The Jedi dodged the fire swiftly and seemingly effortlessly with his lightsaber; he lifted his free hand and dragged a tall metallic wall across the street, putting it as a shield for the civilians to be safe from the violence; with the hand that held the green lightsaber, he continued dodging the fire, and slashing whatever enemy that came too close.

As he did all that, Jule remained where she was, on the floor on a corner, bleeding more than ever, nevertheless staring fascinated at the bright Force user. He was well concealed in thick black and brown robes; you could not see an ounce of his skin, not a single hair. Just the slim silhouette, not grand nor tall, but brave and heroic enough.

He ran to her and yelled, not particularly with anger but urgency, telling her to stand up and run behind him. He gave her a gloved hand and helped her, he defended her and himself as the battle intensified.

And how it intensified.

Where were all those troopers coming from? They seemed to rain from the sky!

You could not see an ounce of street; it was all covered in white—the armors blinded the rebels and Jedi as they fought.

And then…

The noise that followed caused the usually quiet Jule scream at the top of her lungs—yet her scream died behind the loud sound.

Even the Jedi, with all his calmness, looked troubled and afraid.

The bombing didn't last long but it felt like years for those poor people—any people, in Corellia.

The scream Leia released caused every passenger inside the Falcon to jump and turn pale. "Leia, what's wrong?" Han asked her but received no answer. She just put her hands on her ears; she shook her head, and wept fearfully, as she slowly descended to the floor.

Jule wasn't sure of how she was even alive anymore, she looked up and saw the stormtroopers as they marched around the city; she looked down and saw the countless dead bodies, from all ages, all sides, more than anything innocent ones.

She then realized she wasn't walking, someone was carrying her in strong arms. It was the Jedi.

"Leia, please!" Han cried. "Snap out of it, Princess! Leia! Leia!"

The princess curled on the floor, tears burning her eyes, her breathing loud and unnatural.

"Stop!" she begged. "Oh, please stop!"

"Leia," Han spoke softly but afraid. "It stopped minutes ago!"

She hid under his chest; she wrapped her arms around his waist, and just continued to cry. For some time, he allowed that strange action.

"Han," she said weakly when she could recover from the previous sights. "What did you see?"

"What?" he asked confused as he gently stroked her hair.

"What did you see in the hologram?" she pressed, madly.

He sighed and got on his knees, so that they could be face to face. He put each hand on her both cheeks. He laid his forehead on Leia's own. "Jule was firing at a bunch of stormtroopers; a cloaked Jedi with a green lightsaber appeared and saved her."

"That was all?"

"Yes, Leia," with closed eyes he kissed the top of her head.

"It wasn't very long."

"Less than forty seconds."

"What about the bombing?"

"What?"

"That wasn't recorded," the rebel interrupted.

Leia crumbled in Han's arms. "I want to go," she whispered at his ear. "I want to go home!"

"A lot of people do, Princess," the rebel dared defy her again. "And a lot, if not all, don't have a home anymore! When will Vader and Amidala worry for something other than themselves?"

Han held onto Leia, fearing her response at the rebel's words, but she continued her odd actions, crying on him, and grabbing him tightly.

"Leave me alone," was all that the princess could respond for the moment. "Rebel… Jule, leave me alone!"

The rebel showed as much mercy as was ever shown to her in her life. None!

"When will they leave us alone?" Jule said, narrowing her eyes, looking desperate and sad. Leia knew perfectly well who "they" were.

The princess freed herself from Han's arms and walked, slowly and weakly still, outside the Falcon.

"Where are you going?" Han said behind her.

"I just…" she stammered. "I need some fresh air. I want to look at the sky."

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I want to be alone," she said in a restrained voice.

"Alright," he accepted and stood there watching her.

As the cool wind played with her hair, she stopped walking. "I—"she said without looking back, knowing he was still watching her. "I wouldn't mind if you come, actually."

He released a sad chuckle and soon enough he was by her side.

"I don't want to speak," she quickly said.

"I wasn't planning on conversing," he said, offering an arm she hastily took.

They gave a few steps.

"I miss Naboo," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I thought we weren't speaking," he teased, causing something close to a smile to form on her face.

"This planet was not always like this," she said, strangely.

"No," he agreed and sighed. "No, it wasn't. It looks and feels very different than what I remembered."

"Do you… do you blame me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"What?" Han was confused. "Why would I do that?"

"The rebel does."

"I don't think so. She just hates imperials more than the average person—"

"People hate the Empire?" Leia stopped walking. "Han, do they?" her starry eyes haunted Han. "Do you?"

He cleared his throat, knowing lying was useless. "I am not their biggest fan," he admitted.

"Why not?" she cried.

Her tears stung him; he knew she could easily recognize a lie, so he tried a half-truth. "It really gets in the way of my… business," he tried a mischievous grin. "The Empire doesn't exactly love smugglers."

She looked no less pained. "My parents aren't evil," she then said.

Han pressed her closer to him. "We don't have to talk about them. You said you wanted to look at the sky? It's really clear now…"

"Nothing like Naboo, though. Have you ever been there?"

"No."

"Well, you're gonna be there soon," suddenly she sounded less sad. "I want to go home."

"Home…" Han muttered, and instead of looking at the princess, he stared ahead, contemplating Coronet City from afar.

After that there was silence, though much less distance between them.

"I was here three years ago," Leia said, her hand on her mouth, when they had reached the city.

"What the hell happened?" Han muttered, and he couldn't disguise his dread anymore—not even for the princess's feelings. But Leia couldn't blame him. Who could look at that wasteland and not feel anything? Even more so, a native Corellian?

He couldn't ease her pain and fear anymore. He couldn't disregard tragedy or act oblivious. He looked pained. Shocked. Afraid, even.

Not as much as the people on the streets, though.

"This can't be real," Leia muttered, pressing her head against Han's strong shoulder, trying to not see the destroyed streets, the fallen buildings… the endless parade of stormtroopers.

Usually, her first reaction upon seeing those trusty soldiers would be to feel ease, she would feel that no harm could come to her; she would feel protected.

Now… she clung like a frightened child to the man next to her.

"We should call them—"Han begin to say, trying to walk to the troopers, but Leia instantly pulled him back.

"I thought they were on your side?" he asked, confused.

"What if they don't believe I am the princess?" she whispered at his ear, her fear more than obvious. "We can't risk it! Please, let's walk away from them!"

"Alright," he accepted. "I actually don't mind that idea."

They walked a few streets, each more terrifying than the last.

Han felt the girl he was holding tremble, and this time he couldn't stay quiet. "We should return to the ship," he whispered softly. "This was a bad idea."

"Hi," a small voice said behind the princess, pulling at her black clothes.

Leia immediately turned to face him.

It was a little boy, couldn't be older than four or five; he looked really, really dirty. His cheap clothes were ripped, his blond hair was all tousled, yet he was the most beautiful sight Leia had seen in a long time. The child and his sweet voice actually brought a little peace to that troubled soul.

"You're pretty," the little boy said, still pulling at the princess.

Leia got on her knees so she could face the boy. "And who you might be?" she asked, her voice almost sounding like her usual one.

The boy told her his name and repeated how pretty he found her. Leia was actually smiling sweetly now.

"I'm so sorry!" came the nervous voice of a mother. "Child, stop bothering them!" she cried and picked the boy in her arms.

"It's no bother," Leia assured her. "I was enjoying his company, actually."

The woman smiled. "Thanks dear, would you like something to eat?" she offered with good will.

Leia had to say no, no matter how much she was starving.

"Oh come on!" the woman insisted. "I just got the supplies about three days ago, so we're quite stocked. Come, come, Force knows when they're gonna send food again!"

Leia's smiled died. "Doesn't the Empire send food often after the… siege?"

The woman's pleasant face turned bitter. "Nice one, child!" she cried. "Come on, hunger is messing with your head. Poor thing, you look so tired!"

"I am hungry too," Han said.

"Han!" Leia cried. "We can't take their food!"

"Hey, sweetheart, she offered it."

"With real pleasure," the woman smiled again and motioned them to follow her.

"I want to be carried by the princess!" the small child cried.

Leia actually turned pale; the tittle she always carried with so much pride now weighting on her like a hundred pounds.

The woman laughed. "Hush child! This girl must be nothing like the princess. She's so much prettier and I am sure," she laughed. "She actually has a heart."

Leia's eyes crowded with tears. "I will carry him if you allow me," she said, trying to steady her voice. She took the boy in her shaky arms and walked to the woman's home.

Just before they reached a half done building, the boy started screaming with joy, while Leia felt her broken heart stop.

"Look, mommy!" the small child cried in his little voice. "There's a spaceship up in the sky!"

Leia gasped as she knew just what was about to happen. She almost dropped the little boy, but instead, she grabbed him tighter. She hid him under her arms, as if that could actually protect him.

The people who had been there during the last bombing started running across the streets; panic reigned before anything even happened.

"Force helps us," the mother muttered as she took the boy from Leia's arms.

"Please cover his ears," Leia begged the woman. "That was the worst part!"

Without realizing it, Leia put her trembling hands on her ears; dreading to hear the sound that was sure to come… she then felt Han's hands on her waist, clasping her and trying to take her away from her gloomy state. "What, Leia?" he asked. "What's going on?"

He still didn't know. Leia almost envied him for that. But oh, he would soon know…

"Come on!" the woman cried, motioning Han and Leia to follow her.

Han shook his head. "Actually, we should go now—"

"Do as she said!" Leia cried harshly.

As they ran behind the woman with the child, the bombing started.

Leia screamed at the top of her lungs, and as anyone's cries, hers died behind the unbearable and thunderous clatter.

She felt still Han's hands on her as they ran for their lives, and the fact that he was there was probably the only thing that allowed her to keep her sanity.

Before they could reach the fort the woman was trying to reach, Coronet's streets became a maze impossible to escape. Han and Leia cursed while the mother gave a quiet prayer.

It was only five minutes.

Five, eternal, unbearably minutes. Yet how much destruction did the Empire bring in that short time.

When it was all over, Leia hated the fact that she was clinging to Han like the child clung to his mother.

She wasn't used to being so vulnerable, so broken, just so… dare she say, weak?

The way begin clearing sometime afterwards. A group of men appeared before them as the tall mess collapsed. "Here there are more!" one of them cried. They instantly took the mother and child.

"You alright man?" one of them asked Han.

"Could be better," he said as he passed his hands across his dirty face.

"Miss, do you need anything?" the soldier asked Leia.

Never, not even after the battle at the rebel base had she looked so terrible.

It wasn't just her appearance; the whole air around her was disturbing and broken.

"She's really shook up," a rebel said and offered her his arm.

"That's okay," Han said. "I'll help her."

Leia said nothing as Han carried her, walking behind the rebels.

AN: I don't typically do this, but for this chapter, I drew inspiration from the song Goodbye Blue Sky by Pink Floyd. I hope it was okay.