Chapter 50 responses:

Thrawn716: You mean is Lacovia an extremely violent person who kills without any thought, empathy, or remorse? Pretty much. But more on her later. She doesn't have that big a role in this episode.

MissNaye: More on that in this chapter.

G-Anakin 13: Thanks.

Episode VII: Heirs of the Empire

Chapter 6: Decisions

Following her father's leaving, Leila found it strange thinking that, she waited a moment before going to the kitchen and eating an instant freeze dry meal of Corellian Potato fries and a cheese nerf burger. As she ate, she thought of the recent turn of events concerning the Emperor, yes indeed her Sith Lord father.

Leila's memories of her dirty blonde haired young father were few, and as the years went by she found that it was harder to remember them. She was under the distant impression that her Jedi teachings were pacifically making her forget those memories. This was something Luke agreed with, but whenever they expressed this to Obi-Wan and Yoda, it was dismissed as nonsense. They'd said that while the duo's Jedi training had nothing to do with it, there was no real reason for the twins to try remembering the memories anyway, they were part of a past life. A life they no longer had any part of.

While Leila had let the subject drop, Luke questioned why the Jedi were so eager to have him and Leila forget the only memories they had of their family. Obi-Wan repeated that they were from a past life and it was not wise to dwell on the past.

"Dwelling on something of the past will not bring it back, or make it into a reality," he'd added. "You'll find life to go much easier when you keep the past where it belongs, in the past."

Luke, who had actually had a semi-relationship with their father as a boy, never liked the Jedi's idea of using he and Leila as a way to get back at him by having the twins lead an assault against the very person that brought them into existence. He also didn't like the idea of going against the Empress and her sister either. Despite all his teachings against the matter, he felt quite firm in his belief that there was still good in the three of them and that they could be saved.

Yoda and Obi-Wan disagreed, saying he was letting a past experience cloud his judgment. Leila had remained neutral on the matter. Part of her agreed a hundred percent with her two Jedi teachers, yet at the same time there was still that other part that stood behind her brother in how he felt.

Her musings were suddenly interrupted by an outside presence entering her mind. There was only one person she shared a mental bond with through the Force, and that was Luke.

Looking over at the holoclock that hung above the small stove she'd previously used and was standing beside, she gasped. It'd been nearly nine hours since the Battle of Kessel. If her mission had been a success, she'd have been back on Yavin hours ago. Everyone was probably so worried, wondering where she was.

"Leila? Leila, are you there?"

"Yes Luke, I'm here," she answered. "And no, I'm not hurt."

"Thank goodness! There were reports all over the HoloNet that you'd been killed."

Leila smirked lightly at the prospect of Luke worrying himself sick over her. "Remember what I told you about the HV, Lu-lu," she thought in a singsong voice, "take everything you see on that program with a grain of salt."

Lu-lu was a pet name Leila had been calling Luke since they were children, though she rarely called him that anymore. Luke's pet name for her was Le-le.

Luke obviously wasn't amused. "This isn't funny Leila. Where are you? You should have been here hours ago. Everyone's been-"

"-so worried about me," she finished with an eye roll. "I thank you and the alliance for your concern Luke, but I can assure you I'm quite fine. The Emperor made sure of that."

Leila sensed shock coming from Luke. "The Emperor?! You-you saw him?! Had contact with him?!"

"Of course I did, and as we've been trying to convince Yoda and Obi-Wan all these years, he really isn't that bad a person, despite all he's done."

She then proceeded to tell Luke all that had happened over the past few hours. When she finished, he was silent a few moments before speaking again.

"So...should we come rescue you or not?" he asked slowly.

"Rescue me?" Leila scoffed. "From what? Anakin's a nice person who's simply been hurt and taken from too many times."

"I know," Luke said softly. He hesitated before asking, "And the alliance?"

Leila sighed. She knew this subject was going to come up sooner or later. She needed to make a decision. "What about it?"

"The plans Leila," he clarified. "Where are they?"

She found herself hesitating a bit, but why? Wasn't she still a member of the Rebel Alliance? Or had she, since being reunited with her father, decided to turn her back on it and join the Empire? She wasn't sure, but at the same time wasn't as confused on the matter as she had been an hour ago.

"They're on Serenno," she said at length.

"I'll make sure a reconnaissance group goes to retrieve them," Luke said. "I, meanwhile, am coming to join you."

"Join me?! But Luke, what about Yoda and Obi-Wan? The alliance? You can't just-"

"Leila, they stole us from our father," Luke cut in bitterly. "They lied to us, and are simply using us for their own means, which they call the means of the galaxy. I am tired of it, and have put up with it for too long. We both have."

"But-"

"But what Leila? But what?"

Leila sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win this argument. "All right, fine. I'll tell him you're coming."

"And I'll see you soon."

The connection broke and after Leila finished with her meal, she retrieved a book from the library and returned to her newly acquired chambers. Kicking off her boots and collapsing onto the bed, she realized she suddenly wasn't interested in reading. Exhaustion soon took over her senses, and before another five moments could pass by, she'd fallen asleep.