Twenty-eight

Coruscant Veslack Academy

"It's cold!" Luke exclaimed as he lowered himself slowly into the pool's shallow end.

Padmé smiled, her son reminding her more and more of his father. "It's not that cold, Luke," she told him.

"Once you get used to it you'll even think it's warm," Leia added as she floated easily on her back nearby.

Luke frowned. "I doubt it," he muttered. He looked up at Padmé, determined not to let her down. "Okay," he said. "I'm in. Now what?"

"We're going to start by getting you more comfortable in the water," Padmé said. "I want you just to walk around in this shallow end. It doesn't get any deeper than your chest until that point there," she said, pointing to a marker on the side of the pool. "Just walk around, get a feel for the water, and once you're comfortable, we'll go a little further."

Luke looked at her, panic in his eyes. "Further into the pool?" he asked anxiously.

Padmé smiled. "No, further along in your orientation," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We're not going to do anything you're not ready for, Luke," she assured him. "I promise."

Over the next two hours Luke grew gradually more and more accustomed to the strangeness of being immersed in water. He had almost mastered treading water when Han Solo appeared on the pool deck, and Padmé realized that their time was reaching an end.

"You've done very well today, Luke," Padmé told him. "You accomplished a lot in a short time. You ought to be proud."

Luke smiled. "Thanks to you," he said. "Thanks again for doing this, Miss Kinsky," he said. "Mr. Wagar is a good teacher and all, but you're the best!"

Her son's words of praise all but undid Padmé, and she simply smiled at him as Luke made his way back to the ladder and climbed out of the pool. Leia joined him there after a few moments.

"Hi Han!" Luke said, giving him a smile. "Did you see me? I was treading water!"

Han smiled. "That's great, kid," he said.

"Do you like swimming, Han?" Leia asked.

"Well," he said, his eyes moving over to Padmé as she emerged from the water. "If my swimming instructor had looked like yours, I might like it a whole lot more than I do," he remarked.

Padmé looked at him and lifted an eyebrow. "Aren't you a bit young for that sort of talk?" she asked.

Han smiled. "I'm twenty years old," he told her. "Too young?"

Padmé nodded. "Way too young," she said.

The twins had no idea what had just transpired between the two adults in their midst, and simply went to the change rooms to get dressed.

Star Destroyer Exactor

"What do you mean they're not home yet?" Vader demanded. "School ended more than two hours ago!"

"Sir, Luke began swimming lesson," Captain Kassel replied. "They're after school."

Vader was annoyed that he knew nothing of this. "When did this start?"

"Just today," Kassel said. "The boy is very excited about them, actually."

Vader nodded. "Good," he said. "Well let them know when they get home that I'm on my way back to Coruscant," he said. "I should arrive in approximately twenty-four hours."

"They'll be very pleased to hear it, sir," Kassel replied. "I know they've missed you very much."

Not as much as I've missed them, Vader reflected. "Tell Solo I'll pick them up at school," he said. "If I'm delayed, I'll contact you beforehand."

"Yes sir," Kassel replied. "See you tomorrow."

Vader nodded, and then ended the transmission.

Coruscant

Luke and Leia talked Han's ear off all the way home about Luke's swimming lesson and how wonderful Miss Kinsky was.

"What did you mean if your swimming teacher looked like Miss Kinsky you'd like swimming more?" Luke asked.

Han looked at the boy nervously, hoping he hadn't heard him. "Uh, well, it's just that she's very pretty, that's all."

Luke thought about this about for a moment. "Yeah, so?"

Leia giggled at the expression on Han's face at Luke's question.

"Ask your dad when he gets home, kid," Han said at last. "That's his department, not mine."

"I wonder when he's coming home," Leia sighed. "I miss him."

"Me too," Luke said.

Han hadn't known Darth Vader very long, but the Dark Lord's reputation was certainly well known. The fact that Vader had children was unbelievable enough, but that his children loved him and missed him in his absence was even more astonishing. Han had wondered about the mother of the twins, who she was, what had happened to her. Of course, such questions would no doubt cost Han his job, his life or both should he ever be foolhardy enough to ask them.

"I don't know when he's expecting to return," Han told them as he made his final approach. "I'm sure he's anxious to get home, though."

As soon as the twins entered their home, Captain Kassel told them of the conversation he'd had with their father earlier.

"So he'll be home tomorrow?" Luke asked hopefully.

Kassel nodded. "Barring anything unforeseen," he replied. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Funny thing, Luke," he continued, "Your dad didn't know about your swimming lessons. Didn't you tell me he'd authorized Miss Kinsky to give you lessons?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, that's what she told Mr. Wagar," he replied.

Kassel and Han exchanged a look of concern.

"What's wrong?" Leia asked. "Why are you looking at each other that way?"

Kassel had once again forgotten how intuitive Leia was and hesitated for a moment. "Well, your father knew nothing about this arrangement, Leia," he explained. "So in essence she lied when she told Mr. Wagar that he'd authorized her to give Luke lessons."

Leia frowned. "Miss Kinsky would never lie!" she declared vehemently. "She's kind and sweet and wonderful!"

"People aren't always what they seem, Leia," Han pointed out. "I think we need to let your dad know about this," he said.

Kassel nodded. "I agree," he replied. "It seems there's more to this Miss Kinsky than we know."

Luke and Leia looked at one another, perturbed by this statement. Both of them trusted Miss Kinsky completely; the thought that she was capable of deception seemed impossible to them. Somehow they knew that if she had lied, it had been for a good reason.

"Come on you two," Kassel continued, standing up. "Time to get your homework done. Dinner will be ready soon."

Luke and Leia went to their rooms without question, both of them anxious to be alone to discuss this new development. As soon as they'd reached the pair of desks in their joint study, Leia spoke up.

"Luke, I've been thinking about something," she said. "And you might think I'm crazy, but hear me out."

"Okay," Luke said, deciding not to tell his sister that he often found her crazy.

"I think there's a reason why Miss Kinsky has taken an interest in both of us," Leia continued. "And why we're so drawn to her."

"Why?" Luke asked, having no idea where she was going.

"I think she's a relative of ours," Leia said. "Of our mother's," she added. "Maybe she heard about us living with Dad on the holonet and wanted to come and see us for herself," she continued. "Maybe…maybe she never knew our mother had had children, and…"

"How would she know our mother was Darth Vader's wife?" Luke interjected.

Leia stopped, her thought process derailed, but only for a moment. "Well…maybe our mother told her about her marriage," she suggested. "And maybe she knows that Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, and…"

"And you are crazy," Luke decided. "Think of it, Leia," he stated, "think of the chances of that really happening. It's nuts!"

Leia frowned, hating to admit that her brother was probably right. Their parents' marriage had been a secret from everyone, even their families. No one knew about it, and certainly no one knew that Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker were one and the same man.

"Besides," Luke continued. "If she were a relative of ours, wouldn't she have just come out and told us by now? Why would she keep that a secret? It just doesn't make sense, Leia."

"But why do we feel so close to her then?" Leia asked, disappointed and confused. "I know you feel it too," she added, "don't you?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I do," he said. He thought for a moment. "I guess it's at least possible," he conceded. "I mean, I do feel something around her, almost as though there's something…I don't know, something…"

"Familiar?" Leia offered.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, that's it," he said. "Familiar. She reminds me of the woman I used to dream about sometimes."

"Have you dreamed of her lately?" Leia asked.

"No," Luke replied. "Not since we started living with Dad."

Leia sighed, the mystery only adding to her confusion. "There's got to be a connection, Luke," she stated. "When Dad comes home we'll ask him about Mother's family. Maybe she had a sister."

"Maybe," Luke agreed. "But do you really think he'd be willing to talk about her if she did?"

Leia smiled. "We have a project to do on our family, remember?" she said. "He'll have no choice but to talk about it."

Luke grinned. "You know, sometimes you do come up with a pretty good idea," he teased.

Leia's only reply was a punch in Luke's arm.