Time seemed to slow down as Leia felt a shiver run the length up her spine. There was a tremble in the air, twisting and churning as his eyes swept over the scene before finally settling on her.

Anakin and Shmi were still hugging, oblivious to the strange man or Leia's growing unease. At the moment, it was just the two of them in their own little world. Anakin's arms were wrapped so tightly around his mother that Leia wasn't sure he wouldn't break her, but Shmi didn't seem to care one bit as she returned the gesture in full force. Together, they shined brighter than the suns (and Leia could almost imagine herself getting lost in their warmth, but then there was the faintest inhale followed by—)

"You…" he breathed; nostrils flared. She hadn't realized it until then, but he had started to make his way over towards her. One step, and then another until he had blocked the suns completely from view. He looked dazed, as if he couldn't quite believe his eyes as he stared down at her.

Her son— (No, she was not going to use that term) was even taller and imposing up close than she ever remembered him being. Staring up at him was an effort in of itself, her neck craning upwards as she found herself completely eclipsed by his shadow.

Force, she felt minuscule standing next to him. But now that he was there, she finally had the chance to study his face. Maybe it was her imagination, but Leia could almost see her features in his face— the curve of his mouth, the shape of his eyes. And in the parts that did not belong to her, she could see traces of an unnamed, faceless man.

One that she had yet to meet, no doubt.

But it was his eyes that were the most telling. They were almost the same shade as hers— brown with flecks of gold that glittered in the sunlight.

"I—" He looked down at her as his lips parted in confusion, his brows furrowing. "I don't understand."

His voice was so low Leia almost didn't hear him, but then she knew that he hadn't been talking to her. He stared intently at her, soaking in her appearance like a sponge in water.

"You're…" he blinked in surprise. "You're young."

The look in his eyes made her uneasy. But she could hardly find in herself to look away as she watched his features shuffle from shock, confusion, and eventually to something that made her blood turn to ice.

"Leia?" Shmi asked apprehensively, but her voice was muffled. As if she was underwater.

His eyes narrowed as he took a step back.

"This must be a trick," he said, soft and dangerous. "You can't be this young. You can't be…"

"Get away from her," came Anakin's voice, low and dangerous and full of warning. His tone was commanding— not something she had expected from someone so young and bright like Anakin. Although she couldn't see him, she could feel his fear.

She had heard all of that in his voice, but the man in front of her hardly registered it, his darkening eyes still firmly focused on her.

"Who are you?" he asked as she felt tendrils reaching for her, brushing against her as they began to wrap around her. When she didn't answer, there was a moment. A moment that only lasted a second, but to her, it felt like an eternity. His eyes darkened, blazing with a newfound rage that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Answer me!" he screamed, his face twisting and contorting into something that was more animalistic than human.

There was a familiar snap followed by a hiss, but Leia hardly registered it as the tendrils that had only moments ago felt like gentle wisps were now flames that tickled her skin.

"WHO ARE YOU?" he bellowed as he raised a gloved hand, the pressure behind the tendrils growing tenfold as a hot, searing pain ripped through her entire body. She gasped as she was knocked off her feet, her body buckling beneath her as the sand rushed up to greet her.

"Leia!"

Shmi rushed toward her, concern lacing her features as she awkwardly knelt down beside her. Leia tried to open her mouth to tell her that she was fine, but the words never came. She moaned as she pressed the side of her face into the sand. She watched as Shmi turned to investigate the sound of the strange noise, her face visibly paling as she did. In her line of vision, Leia could see the glow of two lightsabers— one red and the other blue as they clashed.

Her breath hitched. She wasn't sure if it was from the pain or the shock.

"Leia…?"

"No," she whispered through gritted teeth. "No, no, no."

She tried to move, to sit up so that she could assess the situation and—

Anakin yelped in surprise as he was violently pushed back by an invisible force, his long legs giving way beneath him as he fell onto the sand. Her son raised his red lightsaber and brought it down, but not before Anakin quickly intercepted it with his own, the two blades buzzing as they collided with one another. Anakin's arms were beginning to shake from the sheer weight of the other man, and Leia could only watch in horror as the red blade slowly began to inch its way closer and closer.

But Anakin wasn't about to give up the fight as he delivered a blow to the other man's shins, causing him to cry out in pain as he stumbled back. Anakin jumped up— his movements unnatural and strange as he landed on his feet.

"Stop this," came an unfamiliar voice from inside her head— not her own. Leia knew what her own inner thoughts sounded like, and this was not one of them. "Stop this now."

But how?

"You know how," came that voice again.

"Help me up," she rasped. "Anakin, he…"

"Leia you're bleeding," gasped Shmi as she felt something begin to dribble down her nose and into her mouth. The distinct taste of iron assaulting her taste buds as there was a release followed by a flow of even more blood, which caused her to gag as she furiously wiped at her face.

Her arms felt like jelly beneath her as she struggled to her feet, Shmi's hands moving to steady her as she discovered just how unstable she really was. Her vision was blurred, and her head felt like a Mynock bird had been pecking at it, not to mention the dizziness…

The two blades clashed again, and just like that time slowed. She could see what was about to happen, how this was going to end. Somehow, she just knew that if she didn't act now, something bad was going to happen to Anakin.

And Leia was not about to let that happen.

"Stop!" screamed the voice in her head, her hands instinctively shooting out in front of her as she felt something gather at her fingertips before flowing out towards the two men. She hadn't known what she was trying to do, but she certainly hadn't intended for it to knock them both off their feet. The red crossed lightsaber that had been about to slice Anakin in two was ripped out of its owner's hand, as was the blue lightsaber as they both deactivated before falling onto the sand.

And just like that, it was over as she felt three pairs of eyes staring at her in shock.

She blinked as she looked down at her hands. Her hands were still hers, of course. But they felt strange… Different.

"Did I do that?" she whispered, examining her hands as if they belonged to someone else.

"Yes," hummed the voice. It sounded pleased. "Who else could it have been?"

Of all the weird things that had happened to her in the past few days, this might've actually taken the cake. She laughed at the absurdity of it all, knowing full well that she was losing her grip on reality.

"Leia?" Anakin blinked. "What—"

But it wasn't just her grip on reality that Leia was losing as she felt her consciousness begin to slip away too. She fought it with everything that she had, but it was a losing battle as she felt her knees begin to buckle. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed, was the worry on Shmi's face, Anakin's desperate attempt to grab her before she fell, and the horror etched onto her son's face.

"Get her inside," were the first coherent words that Leia managed to hear in the cacophony of voices that filled the air. Someone was holding her, their arms cradling her as her head lolled against their chest. She could feel the rhythmic beating of their heart, as well as the steady rise and fall of their chest. She was awake, but only barely. Her eyes had yet to open as she listened to the flurry of activity around her.

"Open the door," came Anakin's voice as he adjusted his grip on her. "Now."

"Wait—" came another voice, not Shmi's.

Anakin turned around with such force that Leia couldn't help but groan, her head spinning as she felt his grip on her tighten. Her eyes cracked open, just a sliver. But she could see enough.

"Don't even think about it," snarled Anakin.

"She's injured."

"Of course she's injured," sneered Anakin. "You attacked her!"

His nostrils flared. "Watch your tongue, Jedi."

"Or what?" challenged Anakin, totally uncaring of the dangerous edge in the other man's voice. "You'll kill me?"

"I would certainly like to," spat the other man, dark tendrils pooling around him once more as his gaze darkened. Anakin realized the danger as he took a step back, his grip on her tightening as she winced. But if he noticed her discomfort, he didn't acknowledge it as he glared at the other man.

"Oh for Force sakes!" cried Leia as she began to struggle against Anakin. She'd had enough of this. "Would you two shut up already?"

"Leia?" blinked Anakin. "You're awake?"

"Obviously," she grumbled. "Now put me down."

His grip on her tightened, "I don't think—"

"Anakin," she breathed, using his first name to get her point across. "Put me down before I punch you in the face."

He didn't need to be asked twice as he carefully deposited her on the ground, both of his hands remaining on her shoulders as she steadied herself. She was still weak and somewhat lightheaded, but at least she could still stand.

"That's better," she said before turning to the other man. "Now what—"

"Your name…" he said as he stared at Anakin, clearly taken aback. "Your name is Anakin?"

No one said a word.

"Anakin Skywalker?" he asked, his voice strained.

Anakin's eyes darkened visibly, "who are you?" he demanded, his hand instinctively going to his belt where his lightsaber rested. "How do you know my name?"

He didn't answer as he continued to stare at Anakin, his eyes wide and his lips parting as he struggled to come to terms with this sudden (and yet strange) revelation. As to what this revelation was, however, remained a mystery as Leia found herself gripping the fabric on Anakin's shoulder.

He looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?" Shmi was the first to break the silence. "Why are you looking at Anakin like that?"

He tore his eyes off of Anakin, sparing Leia only a glance before his gaze fell on Shmi, his eyes taking in her gravid form with barely contained shock.

"Shmi Skywalker?" he asked, his voice barely above that of a whisper.

"Yes?" she asked, shaking her head. "Would someone please tell me what's going on here? How do you know my son and I?"

"I think we would all like an answer to that," said Anakin. It occurred to Leia just how tense the situation really was— all of them staring at the newcomer with a myriad of emotions and questions just waiting to be asked.

Leia sighed as she stared at over the horizon. The suns had already set, and darkness was setting in, bringing with it a chill that made her wrap her arms around herself, tightly. She had a feeling she already knew where this was going, and so there wasn't any point in delaying it any longer.

It was time for the truth.

"We all have questions," said Leia. "And I'm sure we would all like answers to them. But before that happens, let's at least get the fire going so we can start on dinner."

"Yes," agreed Shmi. "That is an excellent idea. Hunger is hardly conducive to civil discourse, and we're all just a little irritable it would seem," she said as she brushed past them. "Anakin can start the fire while Leia and I start making dinner. As for you," she turned back towards the man once more, addressing him directly as she placed her hands on her hips and stared him down, "you can clean up the bodies of the Sand people you killed."

With that, Shmi turned to leave as Leia followed after her, sparing a glance back at Anakin. Leia almost wished she could go back in time so that she could see the gobsmacked look on his face one more time.

But alas, time travel was not something she wanted to think about at the moment.

Anakin's eyes stayed intently fixed on the man as the seconds passed. His stare was intense, and Leia found herself grateful that she was not the subject of his attention as she watched the other man squirm under the weight of his gaze.

"So," Anakin drawled, his body tense and his shoulders rigid as he kept his posture perfectly still. "You're Leia's son… From the future."

The way that his mouth twisted around the word son told Leia that he was hardly impressed. Either that or he was still trying to get used to the idea, however strange it was.

"It would appear so."

Anakin didn't say anything for a few moments, his eyes narrowing.

"Normally, I would say that's impossible, but considering everything that's happened," he glanced briefly at Shmi. "I'm not exactly in any position to be judging what's normal or not."

Leia couldn't help a snort of agreement at that.

"Plus, I can sense that you're telling the truth," he said at last. "Which ought to count for something, especially coming from someone like you."

"Someone like me," the other man repeated. "And what would that be exactly?"

Anakin shook his head, "well, you're definitely not a Sith… No matter how hard you try to play yourself as one—"

He snarled at his response. "What do you know of the Sith?"

"I know enough," he said, glaring. "I saw one once, when I was nine. I remember what he felt like. You…" he shook his head, "you definitely are a dark side user, but you're not a Sith."

His glare at Anakin deepened, but he didn't say anything further.

"Look," said Anakin. "I can tell you have questions—"

"I assure you I do not."

Anakin clearly did not appreciate being cut off.

"But you do," continued the man. "And I might be willing to answer them. Within reason, of course."

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "In exchange for what?"

"Nothing," the other man replied. "Except a show of good faith, of course."

"You want your lightsaber back, don't you?" asked Anakin. Apparently, somewhere along the line he had managed to confiscate it.

The man nodded as Anakin scoffed. "Just how stupid do you think I am?"

"I don't."

Anakin wanted to protest, but then the man cut him off again.

"I don't," the man reiterated truthfully. "I have no intention of harming you or anyone else here for that matter."

And that was the truth. As surprising as it was, there was no doubting the sincerity in his words.

But Anakin was hardly in a forgiving mood.

"If that's the case, then why did you attack Leia?" he asked. "I thought you said she was your mother."

The reminder of what had transpired earlier had not left Anakin, nor anyone else for that matter as Leia felt a shiver run down the length of her spine. Shmi too seemed uneased as she glanced between Leia and the other man.

"I was not myself," he said, as if that was explanation enough. "And I was under the pretense that I was being subjected to some sort of trick— a cruel prank if you will. I was merely trying to ascertain her identity through the Force."

Anakin balked. "By trying to force yourself into her mind?" he growled. "Are you crazy? You could've killed her!"

"Anakin—"

"Any person with a decent amount of training would know that a Force attack of that magnitude—"

"Do not lecture me," he said. "I know what my mistake could have led to. I do not need to be reminded by a child."

Leia watched as Anakin's face turned red with anger, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the other man as the corner of his lips began to twitch in thinly veiled excitement. He was goading Anakin, and it was working.

She put her hand on Anakin's shoulder before he could react and pulled him back. "Anakin, you need to calm down."

"Calm down?" he was almost vibrating at that point. "He attacked you— almost killed you! And now you're telling me that I'm the one who needs to calm down?"

"Yes," she said, firmly. "We need him to talk. That's the whole reason we're doing this, remember?"

"You should listen to her," said the other man. "You're a Jedi, you're supposed to be a guardian of peace, remember?"

"Shut up," he snarled, earning a smug grin in return. Leia tugged on his arm, drawing his attention toward her as she shook her head. It was a few moments before Anakin finally conceded.

"Fine," he said as he unclipped the saber from his belt. "But I'm warning you, if you try anything, I will not hesitate to kill you."

The unspoken, Leia's son or not were loud and clear from Anakin's tone alone.

"So much anger in you," he commented as he accepted his saber back, his eyes never once leaving Anakin. "Even now."

Leia didn't know what he meant by that, and neither did Anakin as he opted to ignore it. "You have your saber. Start talking," he said before adding; "and don't even think about lying to us. I will sense it."

"Very well," he muttered. "What would you like to know?"

Anakin turned that statement over and over in his head, but it was Leia who spoke up. "You can start by telling us your name."

"Kylo Ren," he did not miss a beat, and Leia could tell that he was speaking the truth— but it wasn't the complete truth.

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "And how did you get here, Kylo Ren?"

"I don't know," he growled in frustration. "But I imagine the same way you did, Skywalker."

He all but spat at the name Skywalker, which made Leia wonder if there was a story there… She would get to that later, for now, she had her own questions to ask.

"Kylo Ren isn't your real name, is it?" Leia asked. It was not something she would have named her own child, she knew that much. Unless…

"No," he groveled. "It's not."

"What did…" She swallowed, her voice suddenly growing more and more hoarse. "What did I call you?"

Leia was almost positive that she was not going to get an answer to her question, but after a few moments of silence he ended up surprising her.

"Ben," he grumbled.

Ben. His name was Ben.

"Okay," she nodded. "Ben."

"Don't call me that," he hissed. "It may have been the name I was born with, but it no longer holds any meaning to me."

"Fine," she said as turned the name Ben over and over in her mind, excitedly. Finally, she knew the name of her son. "Kylo it is."

"Where were you before you woke up here?" asked Anakin, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Onboard my ship," he answered before adding; "we were in orbit around some planet— I can't remember the name, but it certainly wasn't Tatooine," he said as he looked around, "as to how I got here, I am uncertain of the details. All I know is that I was there one moment, and the next I was here," his nose crinkled, "in the middle of a desert."

"You must have been out there for quite some time," commented Shmi, breaking her silence for the first time. "When you came to us, you were severely dehydrated. Any longer and you might've died."

"I was out there for a considerable amount of time," he admitted.

Three days, whispered a voice in the back of Leia's mind.

"We all have a similar story," said Leia. "I went to sleep on Alderaan and woke up here with Anakin. None of us know exactly how we got here. We were hoping you might have some answers," she asked as she turned to him, hopeful.

"Alderaan?" he blinked. "You were on Alderaan?"

"Well, yes," Leia didn't know what was so surprising about her being there. "It is my home planet."

"I am aware," was his scathing response.

She shrugged, "you asked."

"I wish I could give you the answers that you seek, but I'm afraid I am just as much in the dark as all of you are," Kylo said, squashing what little hope anyone had at that point. "Only that it was clearly the Force that brought us here together. For what purpose, I do not know."

There was a moment.

"However," he continued, "while I may not know our reasons for being here, I can tell that all of us appear to be not only from different regions of the galaxy, but from different years as well."

Anakin, Leia, and Shmi all shared a look at that.

"If that's the case," said Anakin slowly, "then that means that somehow—"

"We have all traveled through time," finished Leia as she resisted the urge to swallow.

"That much is apparent," said Kylo, this time looking directly at Leia. "You are much too young to be my mother at this point in time."

"What year are you all from then?" asked Shmi. "I already told Leia that I come from 3612 ATC."

"I'm from 3631 ATC," said Anakin as Leia began to mentally do the math. If that was true, then Anakin came from the time of the Republic as well. Three years before the rise of the Empire. "And Leia, you're from…?"

"3653."

Anakin frowned at that, "that's twenty-two years ahead of me."

"I guess that makes you older than me," she said jokingly. He didn't laugh.

"Kylo?"

"3687," he grumbled. "Thirty-four years after you," he said to Leia.

"You're nineteen?"

Leia turned around to face Shmi, thinking for a moment that maybe she had been talking to her. Instead, Shmi's attention was on Anakin as she watched the latter of the two nod.

"Yes," he confirmed before squaring his shoulders and raising his head. "But I'll be twenty soon."

Leia was distinctly reminded of a child trying to make themselves sound and look older than they actually were, which was almost laughable coming from Anakin. He may have been tall, but there was still a youthful roundness to his cheeks and a gangliness to him that told Leia he was no older than she was.

"And you're a Jedi?" she asked in awe.

At that, Anakin nodded excitedly. "Well, a Jedi Padawan, but yes."

It did not escape Leia how Anakin's chest seemed to puff out in pride at that fact, but that just made her chest clench even more than it already was because although he didn't know it yet, he was going to die soon. Him and all the other Jedi.

Leia wanted so desperately to warn him— to tell him of the future that awaited him in just a few short years, but then Kylo sent her a knowing look. Shmi beamed at that, also painfully unaware.

"Leia told me that you left Tatooine when you were nine," she said before adding; "that you live on Coruscant now."

"The Jedi found me," he said as Leia flinched. "And when they found out my potential, they helped me gain my freedom and took me to the Temple on Coruscant to be trained. I've been there for ten years now."

Shmi covered her mouth as tears began to pool in her eyes. She looked so relieved to hear that. So happy to know that her son was alive and free.

Which made it all the more heartbreaking.

Leia watched mutely as Anakin gathered his mother into his arms and held her shaking body, unable to look away as the two of them shared a tender moment. She could feel Kylo's eyes on her, burning holes into the back of her head as she watched. But even then, she never gave him the satisfaction of seeing the pain in her eyes.

"Mom, I…" he looked guilty. "I'm sorry."

At that, Shmi pulled away from Anakin, her hands coming to rest on either side of his face as she drew him as close as her pregnant belly would allow.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" she asked as Anakin's shoulders sagged. "You're here and that's all that matters."

"I left you," was his admission of guilt. "I gained my freedom, but you didn't. I… I left you here," he said, his voice cracking as Shmi's eyes widened in understanding. Her fingers trailed through his short blond hair as she shook her head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But—"

"You don't know how many sleepless nights I have had," she began, "hoping and praying to whatever powers that were listening that my child would one day be free. And now I know that my prayers will be answered."

He closed his eyes, "I've missed you so much."

"I know," she brushed his braid over his shoulder as he melted into her touch. "I know."

"As much as I hate to interrupt this… tender moment," said Kylo. "Does anyone have any idea as to what year we are in?"

Anakin's face flushed in embarrassment as he pulled away from his mother, as if suddenly remembering that they had an audience. He shook his head, "umm, that's a good question."

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Leia hoarsely.

Kylo stared at the farmhouse with newfound interest, "I think I might have a general idea… But you're not going to like it."

"What?" asked Anakin as Kylo pursed his lips.

"This is the Lars homestead," he said as he kicked at a piece of metal scrap. "Or at least it used to be."

"The Lars?" asked Anakin.

"They were my…" he paused, as if considering his next words very carefully. "They were my former master's family."

Anakin frowned, "why would the Force bring us to your former master's family's abandoned homestead in the middle of nowhere?"

"I do not know," he said. "However, judging from the state this place is in, I think we can surmise that it has been quite some time since anyone has lived here."

"Okay," nodded Anakin. "And that would mean—?"

"We may be in my time," he said before adding; "or at least close to it. However, seeing as we don't know the actual date, it's impossible to tell."

"Great," said Leia, not at all liking the sound of that. It would've been easier if they were in her time, or even Anakin and Shmi's. But being in a future that Leia had no knowledge of was unsettling, to say the least. "If that's the case, do you know anyone that can help us?"

"Possibly," he said. "I don't suppose any of you have a working comm, do you?"

Leia wasn't sure if they should trust any of Kylo's associates or not, but if he truly did know someone who could help them…

"No," said Anakin before adding; "but we might be able to get one in Anchorhead."

"We'll go tomorrow," said Kylo, ignoring Anakin's odd expression. It was clear that Anakin wasn't wild about Kylo telling them their next course of action. "How long will it take us if we leave before sunrise?"

Anakin frowned, "on foot? Hours."

"How many?"

"Three, maybe four," he said before adding; "but that's not counting the trip back."

"We can obtain transportation there," said Kylo before his eyes traveled over to Leia and Shmi. "However, I do not believe your mother is capable of making the journey in her current state. She and another person will need to stay here."

"I'll stay here," Leia volunteered. She knew Anakin didn't trust Kylo enough to leave him here with his mother— not that Kylo would agree to that anyway. She just hoped that they didn't end up killing each other.

Everyone seemed to accept that and as far as the questioning went, it seemed to come to a halt.

"There's something I still don't understand," said Shmi. Up until now, she hadn't asked Kylo any questions— and no one had been expecting her too as everyone turned to look at her. "Why us?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Kylo.

Anakin frowned at that, "isn't what obvious?"

"You—" Kylo cut himself off as he stared at Anakin, searching his face for any sign that he had an inkling. But there was nothing there. Nothing to indicate that any of them had any idea. He stopped, blinking rapidly. "You really don't know, do you?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Anakin, taken aback. "What do we not know?"

"None of you—" he looked over at Leia. "None of you know."

Okay, this was starting to get annoying.

"Know what?" Leia demanded, arms crossing in front of her as she patiently waited for an explanation.

"You have no idea why the Force brought us all together," said Kylo. "Here, to this place…"

Leia looked over at Anakin and Shmi for clarification, but they didn't seem to have an explanation either. Anakin shifted uncomfortably, his eyes meeting Leia's as they shared a moment of unease.

"Think about it," said Kylo, irately. "We're all from different points in time. We all share a connection to something bigger than us— something that has brought all of us together. Can't you feel it?" he asked. "The familiarity, the closeness…"

"Would you just get to the point already?" snapped Anakin.

"The connection is simply this," he inclined his toward Leia, speaking to her directly as if she were the only person there. "Anakin is your father."

For a moment, she didn't move. She didn't even dare breathe.

"No," she shook her head. "That's not possible."

Kylo's irritation was palpable at that point as he stared at her. "Possible?" he growled. "You're having a conversation with your future son. I don't think that word means anything anymore."

"I know who my father is," she said, drawing slow and quick breaths. "My father is Bail Organa of Alderaan—"

"He's not your biological father and you know it," Kylo's words were like a lightsaber, cutting and slicing down Leia's walls one by one. "You were merely adopted by the Organa's. You were not their blood."

Leia sucked in a sharp breath at that, her eyes falling from Kylo so that she could stare down at her hands. It was true, she been adopted by the Organa's as an infant— a war orphan, they had told her. That had always been explanation enough when it came to the topic of her birth parents.

Adopted.

"I'm sorry— what?!" choked Anakin.

"Think about it," pressed Kylo, ignoring the frazzled Padawan. "Bail Organa was a known Jedi sympathizer. He was friends with Kenobi, and he was at the Temple during Order 66—"

"Kenobi?" there was Anakin again, eyes wide and words rushed. "You know Obi-Wan?"

Kylo ignored him. "When the Republic fell, the Empire hunted down the Jedi. They searched out Force-sensitive children and raised them to be Inquisitors. The Organa's knew this, and with the help of Kenobi they hid you away on Alderaan," he explained. "Forged your birth records and falsified your midichlorian count so that the Empire wouldn't discover your potential."

"I—" Leia's head was spinning. What Kylo was telling her was insane. But… There was an element of truth to it.

"Listen to me, Princess. The Empire—"

"What are you talking about?" demanded Anakin, his voice cracked. "What Empire—"

"The Galactic Empire," answered Leia, finding her voice for the very first time. "The government that exists in my time. It hasn't happened for you yet, but…" she swallowed, looking into the depths of his lost blue eyes, "the Republic falls."

Anakin froze. He looked anguished to hear that, as if the ground he had been standing on was suddenly ripped out from beneath him. And for all Leia knew, it probably had been.

"It's true," Kylo said, severely. "The Republic as you knew it is gone. It crumbled and fell, along with your precious Order."

He stiffened as that, and if Leia had thought him hearing about what happened to the Republic was bad, it paled in comparison to this revelation. "The Order?" he asked, in a strangled whisper. "But… But how—?"

Leia couldn't help the twisting feeling in her gut at the sound of his voice. He sounded so confused, so lost…

"That's why we're all here," breathed Shmi, speaking for the first time since the revelation. Her interruption left Anakin's question unanswered— which Leia found herself grateful for (she didn't know if she could regurgitate that story just yet… Not now that there was a whole new element to it that she needed to absorb first). "We're all related."

"A bloodline," mused Kylo. "Four generations of the same family. Brought together from different points in history to this moment."

"This is ridiculous," protested Anakin. It was weak, and he knew it. Still, he continued; "there's no way—"

"Search your feelings," said Kylo, not even bothering to spare Anakin a glance. "You know it to be true, grandfather."

"Grandfather," Anakin breathed. His face as white as a sheet. And she could feel him, trembling with fear. Cold, white terror—

His jaw snapped shut.

"I can't do this," he rasped, rising to his feet and tearing for the door (for an escape). Shmi tried to follow after him, worry lacing her features as she struggled to her feet. Leia hadn't realized it then, but Shmi was just as shaken as Anakin was.

"Anakin!" she called after him, in pursuit. "Anakin—"

Leia did not move as she watched Shmi disappear, her dress flowing behind her and her hands firmly planted on her belly as she chased after her distraught son, leaving the two of them alone for the first time.

Leia almost thought about going after them, but she knew her presence would not be welcomed at this time. She was, after all, an outsider to the Skywalker clan— or at least, she felt like one. Even now that she knew the truth… She knew Anakin needed his mother.

Not her.

"He'll be fine," Kylo said simply. "He just needs time."

Leia didn't have anything to say to that.