Chapter 163

As soon as Laetitia heard that Luke had been captured, she immediately grabbed her lightsabers, and ran straight to the Comet. Thankfully, Ahsoka didn't protest as she was running in the same direction with her, being as prepared as she was.

"What is going on? Where could you two be possibly going?" A voice demanded.

Leah turned around and saw Mon Mothma. She already knew where they were going. But if she thought she could talk Leah out of going, she was more foolish that Leah thought.

"Luke's been captured, Senator." Ahsoka said before Leah could. She knew that Leah was ready to snap.

"What? By whom?"

"Boba Fett. He was paid by Darth Vader to bring him to him. He's trying to get to me." Leah quickly said to go.

"I'm sorry, Senator, but we don't have time for this!"

"Why don't you let General Solo and the others to handle the rescue?"

Leah scoffed in irritation as she moved her hair out of her face.

"You can't be serious."

"Why do you suppose I'm not?"

"They can't handle Vader!" Leah argued.

"What about General Tirall?"

"What about me? I'm his sister. No one needs to rescue him because I am going." Leah said firmly.

"Laetitia ..." Mothma tried to say, but Leah harshly cut her off. She had had enough of being left out.

"No! I know you think it's too dangerous for me to go, but that's exactly why this is a job for me. That is not the Leader I wanna be. I have already backed away from the fight that I should have been a part of. Now, people are dead and my brother is captured. I can't bring them back to life, but I can make sure that Luke won't join them." She stated.

"I understand how you are feeling ..."

"Then, you know why I don't have a choice. He is being delivered to Darth Vader. I really hope I won't have to tell you why I will NEVER let that happen!" Leah half-yelled in anger.

She never lost it in front of Mon Mothma or raised her voice. Now, she was doing both, which meant that she was in no mood to be disagreed or be anywhere near with.

"I am going, and there is nothing that you or anyone else can say to stop me." She firmly said.

When Mon Mothma didn't say anything, Leah was sure that she had made herself clear. She just went into the Comet and was about to take off, but a Rebel came and interrupted them.

"General! Generals Solo and Tirall are in the lading zone."

Laetitia, Ahsoka and Mon Mothma were all shocked to hear that. Thexan was gone. How did he meet with Han and comeback with them?

"Wait, Thexan's here, too?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yes, sir. That's what Commander Rex informed."

"What about Commander Lars? Is Luke with them?" Leah asked straight to the point. She just cared about her brother at the moment.

"They ... didn't say." The Rebel slowly said.


Laetitia and Ahsoka basically ran to the landing zone to find out what the hell was going on. What happened? Thexan was supposed to be on a mission of his own, and Han said that Luke was captured.

How did they get him back so quickly? They didn't ... leave him behind ... did they?

Oh, Leah was prepared to rip Han's head off if he had let her brother to be captured and then left him without even trying to rescue him. She was very mad.

The Millennium Falcon landed in front of them. Time never passed slower before. The doors opened. Leah's eyes were looking for her brother as Rex and Chewie came out. She could also see Han and Thexan with someone.

Was that Luke?

"Han!" She shouted when she could no longer hold her frustration in.

Han looked up and saw Leah. The glare she was giving him was enough that he hid behind Thexan. Thexan smiled and helped someone walk out.

Leah let out a shaky breath with tears in her eyes. It was Luke!

She just walked quickly to him as she hugged him tightly in relief. He grunted in sore pain, but let Leah do what she wanted. He was too beaten up to argue. The look on his face showed that he had been tortured a bit, and that enraged Leah. She didn't want him to go through what she did.

"Are you okay? What happened?" She asked, crying softly.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit sore." He reassured her softly. He was the only one who could make her cry any time in front of anyone.

Leah took a deep breath to take control of her emotions. She was just so grateful to have him back alive and alright.

"Thexan rescued me." Luke said as he turned to Thexan and smiled in appreciation.

Thexan smiled back and nodded. Leah frowned as her eyes were asking for an explanation. How did that happen? And so quickly?

"I was already on Nar Shaddaa when I heard he'd been captured. That planet may be full of pirates and outlaws, but they're nothing but lazy and drunk. So, I snuck aboard the ship and got him out without triggering any alarm." He explained.

Leah shook her head in understanding. Thank the Force he had been there. Maybe the Force did work in mysterious ways.

"Can someone take Luke to the Med Bay?" Leah ordered.

"There's no need. I promise, I'm fine." He protested.

"Better to be safe than sorry. C'mon, buddy." Han said as he pushed Luke ahead.

"Rex, come with me. I wanna know everything that happened." Ahsoka told him. She could feel that Thexan and Leah had something to talk about.

"Right after you, General." He replied as he left.


Once they were alone, Laetitia and Thexan didn't move a muscle. She just smiled as she grabbed his hands.

"Thank you ... for getting him out of there. I don't know what I would've done if Vader got to him." She whispered honestly.

Thexan smiled warmly as he grabbed her by the shoulders softly.

"Uh ... You're welcome? That's my job. We're partners now. And even if we weren't, I'll always protect you two as long as I'm around. I owe you that much." He promised her.

Leah gave him a look. He couldn't help having Palpatine as his father any more than she could for having Darth Vader's blood. But that didn't mean they didn't find ways to feel guilty.

"You can consider me 'family' now, because you are stuck with me."

"Can we use another word? My real family's either dead or I wish they were. I don't exactly have the best family history." Leah asked sadly. She was afraid of him being her family.

"Okay, I don't believe you actually want your father dead, no matter how many times you tell yourself that. Besides, you still have Luke as your blood family. But that's not what it counts. Family's the people you love and are close with. Just because you share blood with someone, that doesn't necessarily make them your family." He stated.

Leah didn't say anything and just looked down.

"And I don't care what you call me now that we're together."

"'Boy toy'?" She very seriously joked.

Thexan laughed in response. Was that the only thing she could think of to call him? Not 'boyfriend' or 'the love of my life'?

"Except that! ... Maybe don't call me that. Please. I'd appreciate it." He begged.

"No promises." She gave him the famous Skywalker-smirk as she leaned on and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"What were you doing on Nar Shaddaa, in the first place?" She suddenly asked.

Thexan suddenly tensed up and cleared his throat uncomfortably. Leah frowned in suspicion.

"What's going on?"

"Uh ... Well ... You see ..."

"Spit it out."

"I brought someone with me." He bluntly said as he closed his eyes.

"You what?!" She demanded.

"I would have told you sooner, but you would've freaked out."

"Thexan, no one brings anyone here without clearing it with me first. I don't care if it's my boyfriend. What if he's a spy?"

"It's a 'she', and I can promise that she is not working for Darth Sidious. She actually hates him more than you do, if that's possible." He stated.

Now, Leah didn't know what she was feeling. Curiosity, anger, sad? He brought a woman with him? One that he trusted?

"Who is she? What do you know about her?" She asked as the Leader of the Rebellion.

"Her name is Senya Tirall." He answered, but Leah didn't listen.

"I don't care what her name is. What do you ..." She suddenly stopped.

Senya Tirall. She had heard that name before. Thexan had mentioned someone with that name not that long ago. And 'Tirall'? What was she, a relative?

Oh, God ...

"Wait, Senya ... Tirall ... as in ..." She slowly asked.

"Yes ... It's my mother." He quietly said.

Leah's jaw dropped in shock. His mother was here? The woman who mothered 2 Palpatines was here? Her possibly future mother-in-law was here?!


Senya was sitting on the bed in her son's room. Honestly, when Thexan showed up on Nar Shaddaa, she barely recognized him. He had grown into a handsome decent man ... He had nothing in common with the monster who 'fathered' him ... Nothing like his brother.

She was genuinely happy to see her son again. She never thought he would actually use the line she had given him 21 years ago.

The door opened as two people came in. Senya smiled when she saw Thexan, but the girl that was with him ... She had to be who he talked about when he talked about his life.

The one whose life his father had destroyed. The one who loved him despite of it. The one who he loved more than life. The one who helped him turn back to the light. The one who inspired him to look for her. And the one so powerful in the Force.

Laetitia Skywalker.

"Leah, this is Senya Tirall ... My mother." Thexan introduced.

Neither of the women moved. They just stood still as they analyzed each other. They didn't even offer to shake hands.

"And you must be the young girl thinking she's leading a few Rebels." Senya deliberately taunted Leah.

"Mom!" Thexan almost shrieked. Had she not listened to a word he said?!

Meanwhile, Leah just scoffed in disbelief. She wanted to have a good first impression with her, but she was making it impossible. But she could definitely see what Palpatine saw in her to have children with her.

"A little judge-y for an egg-donor. Now I can see how you and Palpatine can have 2 children." She stated as she smiled in irritation.

Thexan opened his mouth to say something, but he immediately stopped. He did not want to get in the middle of this. The 2 woman he loved in his life were both ... intimidating.

"You were wrong, Thexan ... I like her." Senya smiled as she turned to her son.

Leah just gave a glare to Thexan as she tried to force a smile on her face. What did he tell her about her?

"I have that effect on people, except your son. You know, the other one ... that I blew up ..." She emotionlessly said. She had no sympathy for that monster.

Senya rose her eyebrow. The girl was definitely bold. The way she spoke about her son ... But she did have good reasons. Arcann had tortured her for 3 long years.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. But really, it was nice to finally see where Thexan actually came from." Leah honestly said. It was as warm she could get with someone new.

Senya just smiled as she watched Leah leave.


Once Senya and Thexan were alone, neither of them said anything. They loved each other, but it was still too soon and awkward to start the mother-son talk.

"She is something, that girl." She finally stated, breaking the silence.

"I know, right?"

"But I object." She suddenly said.

Thexan blinked in surprise and turned to his mother.

"What? Why?"

"She is ... too scary. No one can handle her." She seriously joked, which caused Thexan to laugh in relief.

"It's not that hard once you get to know her. I mean, don't get me wrong. She is sometimes difficult because she hides her feelings. But ... that's because she's scared. She's tough, but if you make an effort ... she's worth it. We understand each other, so you have nothing to worry about." He reassured her.

"She looks ... exactly like Vaylin." Senya stated, which caused Thexan to twitch in pain and surprise.

"More like, Vaylin looks like her." She corrected herself as she wondered.

"Mom!"

"Does she know about her?"

"What, that my father decided to ..." Thexan almost snapped, but he stopped himself.

He really didn't want to get into it. If Leah ever found out that Palpatine had ... She would lose her mind. She would go crazy and kill everyone around her in rage. Thexan didn't want to choose, so he just wanted to pretend he didn't know anything.

That was for the best.

"She doesn't know. And hopefully, she will never have to." He firmly said.

Senya shook her head in acceptance. She agreed that Leah should not know about Vaylin. That would ... complicate things. And that was the last thing they needed.

"Do you still have the ring I gave you when you were little?" She suddenly asked to change the mood.

"Yeah. You gave me and Arcann each a ring when you left, because you wanted us to remember you. I've been wearing it every single day." Thexan said as he took it out.

It was a simple ring with no colors or shapes on it. But Thexan loved it so much. It was the only thing he had of his mother growing up. He didn't want to lose it, so he tied it to a cable chain and wore it as a necklace.

"Why haven't you given to her?" Senya bluntly wondered.

That caught Thexan by complete surprise. It might even be shock. Did his mother just ask why he hadn't proposed to Laetitia?! How could she even think fo that? Not that Thexan didn't want to, but ... being in love with someone and actually marrying them are two very different things. She would be in the family.

Laetitia ... A Palpatine?! She might as well accept being a 'Vader'!

"It's too soon for that. She's been through a lot. I don't want her to feel trapped. There is time for that later." Thexan quickly said to close the matter.

Senya shook her head, but she wasn't convinced. She wanted her son to be happy.

"You never know. With the lives you've chosen for yourselves, you might miss the opportunity, because then, it'd be too late." She said and left Thexan thinking.

Done :)