Dinner was set at the table and everybody refused to sit down until Leia returned.
After all, they were family, and family stuck together through thick and thin.
So, when Leia refused to answer Luke's calling, Padmé left to go after her.
She checked every room in the house, unsuccessfully, but not to her surprise — she highly doubted Leia was comfortable enough to go barging into a house she didn't truly fully feel welcomed in. On a whim, Padmé went outside, and, for several minutes, she wandered through the gardens, her bare feet touching the grass underneath, connecting her to the nature that surrounded her.
She wondered if that came anything close to how the Jedi secured themselves to the world.
The stars and the moons were bright in the nightly sky, providing enough light to the earth that no artificial lighting was necessary. Even though she hadn't been to Varykino in forever, she knew her way around there like the back of her hand.
She had even forgotten her reasons for going outside, until she spotted someone peacefully lying down on the open fields, staring blissfully at the sky above them.
Padmé lied down in the grass next to Leia, choosing the peace of stargazing over any spoken words.
Leia smiled with her lips closed upon Padmé's presence, although her eyes remained attentive to the universe above them.
"It's beautiful, isn't it."
Padmé hummed, despite not knowing whether Leia was referring to Varykino or the stars shining their way.
"You can see, from the way the villages are built, from the path we took from the Falcon to Varykino, just how much reverence the Naboo have for nature, for the life where we all came from," Leia digressed, and Padmé couldn't tell whether she was talking to her or to herself. "Alderaan was the same."
Padmé smiled sadly; she had only been to Alderaan once, having been invited by the Organas to stay as their guests during a diplomatic visit, but she could have told as much. She still remembered vividly as she stood over the balcony, alongside Breha Organa, mesmerized by the Appenza Peak — the most beautiful snow-capped mountain, its silhouette blessing over the city of Aldera with its magnificent power. There was where she learned about the accident that the Queen of Alderaan had suffered while descending the snow mountain, which almost cost her her life and stole her of her lungs and heart, leaving her permanently impaired so the strain of conceiving a baby of her own would only further damage her body.
Funny, Padmé thought to herself, how they had gone full cycle. From Breha Organa being unable to conceive to the Organas adopting Padmé's daughter when Padmé couldn't be there to care for her.
"Being here — it reminds me of home," Leia continued, "It reminds me of the peace I felt whenever I was home."
Padmé frowned, uncertain as to how she felt at peace when their stay at Naboo had been nothing but turmoils.
"I have no quarrels against your family, Padmé. I think they're lovely people," she said, and Padmé despised whenever she did that — answering the very question that was on her mind. Leia chuckled to herself. "They're grieving, and they're entitled to their grief. Thing is, I'm grieving too, and when our grief collides — we end up antagonizing each other."
Padmé huffed; she was right, there had been far too many thrown accusations ever since they had arrived.
"I'm sorry if I have made things harder for you than they had to be," Leia earnestly apologized.
"You haven't," Padmé spoke for the first time. "Like you said — everybody is grieving. It was never expected to be easy."
Leia nodded. "They love you very much, Padmé. They feel very sad that they had lost you, that they grieved for you when you were still alive, but — their love for you surpasses any resentment. I can feel as much."
"I want to believe in that," she said, "I know that they're happy to see me, but… I want to feel it, too."
"It's just a matter of them getting used to the idea that they haven't lost you. Not anymore, at least," Leia prompted. "It took me a long time to accept that, because I didn't know of you before. But your family does, they've cared for you ever since you came into the world. As you tell them your story, they'll understand."
Padmé ironically puffed. "Assuming they'll ever let me fully tell my story."
Amused, Leia rolled her eyes. "They will. It hasn't even been a day."
"Yeah," she concurred, turning her face to look at Leia's side profile. "What are you doing here, Leia? You're not one to run away from confrontations."
She shrugged. "I'm stargazing."
"Just that?"
Leia shrugged again.
"I think your family is very lovely," she said once again, and her voice held no animosity, not even at what she said next, "Yet, here I am, finding myself jealous of you."
"Why?" she asked in a whisper, even though, deep down, she knew why.
"You got back the family that you threw away."
Padmé swallowed hard at that, not answering it — there was no way to respond to Leia's observation without making Leia hurt even more.
Instead, she accepted the chastisement silently.
"I can locate her in any star system."
"Her?" Padmé asked, confused.
"Alderaan," Leia beamed brightly, surprising Padmé — the mother never thought she would see Leia speaking so happily of her planet. Leia pointed towards the sky with her index, "See, right there, that bright star under the small moon — that's Alderaan."
Padmé followed Leia's finger until she found the sparkling dot in the nightly sky. What did she know, but it did seem like it shined brighter than every other star.
"The light of the explosion still hasn't reached most planets in the galaxy," Leia meandered on. "If you're away from the Core, Alderaan is still shining in the universe. It's become a comfort, I could say, to look up to the skies wherever I went and find Alderaan. Finding home. It gives me the sensation that things will be alright again — even if the odds are against it."
Padmé rested her hands over her belly, eyes still fixated on Alderaan. "Light carries on endlessly, even after death."
At that, Leia couldn't stop smiling. "Starlight — it's billions of years old. Stars that are now long dead whose light is still traveling through time. It won't die, that light. Maybe that's the only thing that never will."
Padmé felt tears stinging her eyes at how graciously Leia talked about Alderaan's light.
"There was a traditional Alderaanian lullaby that said that that's where souls reside, in starlight. I hope they're right."
"That would be beautiful," Padmé said softly.
"When people look up, they see death. They only see light that doesn't exist anymore," Leia digressed. "When I look up, I see life."
"That's beautiful, too."
Teardrops fell from the corner of Leia's eyes into the grass. Yet, she did not stop smiling.
"I don't like to talk about Alderaan, it hurts too much," Leia confessed. "Some say that talking about it would bring me comfort, but the truth is — the only thing that would comfort me was seeing them again. And that's the thing, isn't it, I can never see them again. Not in this life, anyway. But, lying here under the stars, under Alderaan — I can not only see them but I can feel them guarding me, too. It's not ideal, but… It's enough."
Padmé let go of Alderaan to look at Leia again. "I know it's not the same, that it'll never be the same, but… I want you to have a family here, too. Not a replacement, just — another family, you can't ever have too much family. Because, Leia, should anything happen to me… I don't want you and Luke to be on your own. I want you to have people that you can rely on, no matter what."
"Come on," Leia spoke hoarsely, "Nothing is happening to you."
"I won't live forever."
She shivered at the mere thought. "Enough talk about death."
Padmé reached out to wipe one of Leia's cheeks. "You shouldn't be afraid of death. Death is the natural—"
"I'm not," Leia interrupted. "Not of my death, anyway. I just don't like being left behind."
"Yeah," she smiled sadly. "Nobody does."
Leia blinked fast, trying to find focus on her vision again so she wouldn't misplace Alderaan.
"Grief is the purest manifestation of love, I believe," Leia said. "You can't feel the loss if you don't deeply love what you've lost. If you feel your family's grief, Padmé, I think you will feel their love, too."
Padmé huffed. "That's a poetic way of looking at it."
"It does make life a little less ugly, doesn't it," she suggested, "That's what you've taught me, anyway. That there's no lemon so sour that you can't make something resembling lemonade."
Padmé beamed, a little proud that, in the end, she had passed on some wisdom to her daughter.
"Speaking of lemonade — why don't we go back inside? Dinner has been served already," Padmé prompted, "They were just waiting for you to sit down."
"You go ahead," Leia said, "I'll be right in, I — I just want one last moment with them."
Padmé looked up at Alderaan again. She didn't want to leave Leia alone, but she respected her wish nonetheless.
"Don't wait too long, okay?" she asked, leaning onto her elbows. "I know there's life up there, but — don't forget that there's tangible life surrounding you here, too."
"I won't. I promise."
Padmé left, and Leia returned to her peaceful stargazing, the smile back on her face.
The third time they tried to talk, they changed their surroundings completely.
It was daylight and they were all outside, sitting around the patio, next to the pool. Some of them were lying on sun chairs, bathing on the glory of the morning rays of sunshine; some were sitting on the outside sofa, with their feet messily thrown over the coffee table; Ryoo, enjoying her pregnancy, earned the most comfortable chair, with a fluffy pillow on her back.
Luke had the hem of his trousers rolled up his legs, as his feet sank into the pool. His newfound family had been rather surprised upon learning he had never seen a pool before, and when he asked if he could dive his feet into the water, they had basically threatened into it.
Leia sat on the floor, her legs crossed in front of her and her back anchored against Han's legs, who sat diplomatically on a garden chair. He had his hands on the back of her neck, gently rubbing the sore spots there.
Breakfast had been served outdoors — Padmé's idea, as she desired for an open space where nobody would feel cornered and fresh air was everywhere. She sat on the couch, with her legs pulled under her, and she had been the first one to wake up and settle there; if she had woken up early due to her anxiety or because she wanted to have a moment of peace, enjoying the scenery, she didn't know.
And once everybody was up and settled outdoors, they avoided at all costs starting to talk about the things that needed to be addressed.
Padmé didn't necessarily mind the easy conversation, no matter how superficial it was as of the moment. It gave her a sense of how her life would have been like if only she had gotten to raise her children at home.
That illusion — she was rather fond of it.
"I called Shiloh over," Ryoo announced, "He said he's coming over for lunch, and staying for — well, for as long as you stay. Or, as long as we are welcome here. Anyway, he's coming over, so you won't feel so left out, Han. That way you won't have to follow around Luke and Leia like a stray puppet everywhere."
Luke choked a laugh at the blatant observation.
"Han only follows me around when Leia is out of sight," Luke added, rather amused by it. "He only ever comes to me or to Padmé when he needs someone to annoy."
"That's called being in love, kid," Han declared, a grump written over his face. "Maybe you should try it sometime."
"With you? No, thank you," Luke feigned innocence, having Leia roll her eyes at him.
"Anakin used to follow Padmé around like a puppy, too. Isn't it right, dear," Jobal addressed Padmé sitting next to her.
"He — he did," Padmé agreed, a little hesitantly. Taken aback that Anakin had been so easily brought up when she herself had been tiptoeing around the issue. "I believe he did."
"He did, Padmé is just being shy," Sola offered her sister a dirty look. "Padmé was his sun, and he was nothing more than a satellite revolving around her."
Padmé blushed, avoiding both Leia's crude eyes and Luke's pure excitement.
"If I'm looking for something to chastise the Jedi, that's it," Ruwee admitted, his voice standing between his hostility and his gentleness. "Any daughter of mine deserves better than to have to hide her happiness due to outdated customs."
"I was always a private person, Papa," Padmé said, "The love I had for Anakin belonged to me only, not to the rest of the galaxy."
"Of course, Padmé, but having to hide it from everybody? Even from your close friends and family?" Ruwee emphasized, "That's no way to live."
"I didn't mind it," she whispered, bringing her fingers to her chin. "I was happy enough, with my husband and with the child I was carrying. There were little things that could have stolen me from that happiness — the fall of the Republic was one of them, but my clandestine marriage to Anakin was not."
Luke turned his head to find his sister, wanting to infer her emotions from her expression alone; she made sure to keep her head down.
"You must have all questions regarding the man your father was," Jobal said, looking at the twins, unable to tell the real reason behind their tense postures. "Oh, he was a great man. I wish you could have met him, just like you had the chance of meeting Padmé."
Luke grimaced, and Leia, with a deep sigh, looked at her mother through her lashes. "Padmé."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sola asked, making a face at her niece, then at her sister.
"Leia is right," Padmé spoke softly. "We need to talk about — Anakin."
"Well, gladly," Jobal agreed, "We have great joy remembering Anakin."
"He used to be so fun to be around," Ryoo reminisced, looking over at Pooja. "He used to play all the time with us. Run around us, carry us on his shoulders, play tag with us. He was — a force of nature."
"He made me laugh all the time," Pooja chipped in. "I loved whenever he and Aunt Padmé came to visit. I was a very happy child but Anakin… Anakin had the power to make everything better. Everything happier."
"I didn't understand why he didn't come to bury Padmé with us," Ryoo said, lower this time. "I didn't understand, because whenever I saw Padmé, I saw Anakin, too. I could only think that something terrible must have happened so he wouldn't be there with Padmé, with us."
"Anakin died," Sola said, "Alongside all the Jedi. That's terrible alright."
"Padmé," Leia said her name more strongly, as she couldn't bear all these people revering Anakin when they didn't know of what he had become.
"If there's something you wish to say, child, you can say it," Ruwee spoke to Leia, "You don't need Padmé's approval. You're part of his family, we want to hear you."
Ignoring him, Leia left her glare on Padmé, and she angrily turned her head away when Padmé still wouldn't start talking.
"Okay, clearly there's something here that we aren't aware of," Sola deduced, watching carefully Leia's expression and Luke's attempt at evading.
"Mother," Luke called for her. "The time has come."
"What?!" Jobal's eyes widened, "You're not leaving already, are you?"
"No, no," Luke assured gently, "But Leia is right — we need to talk about Anakin."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Jobal continued, "What is there to talk about him? He's dead, has been for years now."
"Padmé was dead for years, too," Ruwee inferred. "What the kids are trying to say, what Padmé is afraid to say, is that Anakin is still alive."
"Not… anymore," Padmé spoke at last. "But he was. Until a few months ago, he was still alive."
"Oh," Sola uttered when everybody else seemed too perplexed to say anything. "Did he — did he know about the twins? Or about you, Padmé? Or did all happen — without his consent as well?"
Padmé drew in a deep breath. "That's where things get complicated, actually."
"I doubt they can be any worse than what you've already told us," Ruwee observed.
"Well, actually—ah, Luke, can you… can briefly explain the concept of the light side of the Force?"
Luke cleared his throat; he hadn't expected such a request, and his feet at last stopped swirling on the water.
"You don't have to explain that to us," Ruwee protested, "We're aware of it."
"Luke, tell them."
Biting nervously on his lip, Luke had no choice but to begin speaking.
"The Force is like an energy field that surrounds all of us. It's created by life itself and connects everything together in the universe. Therefore, the Force resides in every lifeform, but only a few individuals have the power to touch into the veil of the Force, therefore being able to harness it and access different manifestations of that power — Leia and I, we have that ability, even though Leia doesn't practice use of the Force. Well, there are two main methods as to how you can touch this power. There's the light side of the Force, which aligns with selflessness and compassion for others. The Jedi were notable practitioners of the light, acting as the guardians of peace and justice. Then… There's the dark side of the Force. The dark side isn't necessarily stronger than the light, but it's quicker and easier to reach, as one delves into their ugliest emotions, such as anger and hatred, to touch the Force. The Sith are known for using the dark side, and they twisted their grasp over the Force to acquire further power for themselves, in return allowing the darkness to consume their soul. Emperor Palpatine and… and Vader are men notorious for their practice of the dark side."
"I — I don't understand why you're telling us all this," Jobal confessed. "Luke, we don't say that to undermine your knowledge of the Force, we don't doubt for a second your strength in the Force, but… What does that have to do with everything?"
Luke didn't answer, as he was still acting on Padmé's cues, but when Padmé herself remained silent, Leia found herself speaking on their behalf — surprising everybody including herself.
"The dark side is a choice that a Force sensitive being makes for themselves. They are not doomed with it from birth, it's not predestination — it's a conscious decision. Therefore, someone who thrived in light might, one day, choose the easier way for themselves and turn from light to dark. And the dark side… It's brute, it takes and it takes both from the person wielding that power and the person in which that power is wielded against. The dark side taints everything it touches, it's ruthless and unforgiving."
Ruwee gazed at her intently. "You talk as if you are very familiar with the dark side, dear."
"I am," Leia said relentlessly. "No living being knows better of the dark side than Luke and I. We have never practiced use of that power, and I say with security that we never will, but… We have experienced beforehand the scars that the dark side leaves on the innocent people."
Jobal looked at her with pity. "Are you referring to Alderaan, dear?"
Leia shot her shoulders up and down. "Amongst other things."
Then, everybody turned to Luke, who was focusing only on the movement of the water.
"Padmé," Leia challenged again; she and Luke had set out all the ground for her already, she only needed to start talking.
"Alright," Padmé whispered, her eyes diverting everybody there. "They told you about the dark side, and they told you about — Vader. I assume you know of Darth Vader."
"Of course, Padmé," Sola patronized her, "Everybody knows of Darth Vader and the atrocities he committed across the galaxy."
"He's a very vile man," she agreed, anxiously rubbing her hands together. "Turns out… That man is Anakin."
It all became very still and very silent; it would seem that even the birds stopped chirping.
When a porcelain cup slipped from between Jobal's fingers and landed on the floor with a thud, shattering glass all around, everybody was already too startled from the revelation to become startled again.
"It — It can't be," Sola protested, her voice trembling. When she abruptly stood up, she learned her legs were shaking, too. "Anakin — was a good man!"
"So he was," Padmé mumbled.
Jobal pressed her hands to her mouth, and she looked like she was about to cry.
Leia anchored her head against Han's knees; it all felt very sad, and even though she dreaded it, she sensed the hurt in every Naberrie.
"That makes a lot of sense, actually."
The twins turned over to hear Ruwee speak, even though everybody else remained too dazed to acknowledge his voice.
"This is why you faked your death, isn't it," he addressed his daughter, "If Anakin became Vader," he spat that name with this disgust, "The harborer of evilness in its rawest form, it would be only logical that he'd come after you, who, despite no ties to the Force, stood for light itself."
Padmé's eyes sparkled, and whether she was nodding or trembling, Ruwee did not know.
Pooja froze her eyes on the twins. "That means… You're the children of Darth Vader?!"
Leia shivered while Luke grimaced.
"We're the children of Anakin Skywalker," he gently corrected her. "We were conceived when there was still light on him."
By then, tears freely ran down Jobal's cheeks.
"That can't be," she cried. "That man — We welcomed him into our house! Into our lives! He married my daughter and fathered my grandchildren! I cannot accept this, I won't accept this!"
"Mama, I'm afraid it's true," Padmé said, "I know, believe me, I know just how it feels, but you're my family, and I couldn't keep this from you. No matter how much this hurt, lying about it would only do more damage than the truth."
Ryoo rested her hands protectively over her womb; suddenly, she never wanted her pregnancy to end.
"How do you feel about it?" she asked, her chin pointing towards Luke and Leia.
"We accept it," Luke conceded, "Because we have no other choice."
"We acknowledge no connection to the Vader name," Leia added, "Not in public, not to ourselves."
"Padmé just said that lying does more damage than the truth," Pooja protested. "Why are you lying to yourselves?"
Leia frowned. "We're not—"
"I find it right to believe that the truth of your parentage wouldn't haunt you."
Leia pressed her lips.
"Our conflicted feelings will inhabit us as long as we live," Luke said calmly. "Today, we're here to help you come to terms with that revelation. Like Padmé said, we understand beforehand how hard it can be."
"Well, that's bullshit," Sola said. "I knew Anakin. He — He would never do such a thing! He was a good man!"
"He was," Padmé slowly nodded, "Then, he wasn't anymore."
"I think I'm getting sick," Ryoo announced, "And I'm too late into my pregnancy for morning sickness."
Sola stepped closer to Ryoo to trace motions on Ryoo's back, hoping to ease her nausea.
"I don't understand," Jobal said, on edge, "How is this possible? How did it happen?"
"If it makes it any better, he did it for love," Padmé said, "He did it so he would save me and our child, and he failed to notice that the only thing endangering us was himself. His determination was his own downfall."
"No, I don't think that makes any better," Ruwee placated, "Every single person in this room has been in love at one point in their lives, be it for their partners or for their children or for their sisters. Yet, no matter how dire the circumstances became, none of us turned to acts of terrorism in the name of love."
A sly smile appeared in the corner of Leia's lips.
"I like him," she spoke to her brother when snarky comments didn't belong to the situation.
Luke snorted and rolled his eyes.
Ruwee caught sight of his facial reaction and glared at Luke. "You think this is funny, boy?!"
Luke blushed, and started stuttering, "What—no, sir. Absolutely not. I don't think that's funny at all. On the contrary, sir—"
Leia was thankful for her diplomatic skills, otherwise she would have started laughing at her brother's dismay a long time ago. However, she did start pestering him through their Force bond.
"—I think it's very serious Anakin's deeds, and we shouldn't take them lightly—Leia, stop that—Oh, I didn't mean — I didn't mean to say that. What I'm trying to say, sir, is that this isn't funny. Not at all. Sir."
Like Leia, both Han and Padmé struggled to keep their faces together. Amidst the stress of the whole situation, Luke was doing a great job in providing them some comic relief.
Ruwee seemed unconvinced until Pooja blurted out—
"You're doing it, aren't you. You're talking to each other telepathically, like you told us you could."
"I—" Luke's jaw fell open, "No…?"
"They are," Padmé certified, slightly shaking her head as she allowed some amusement into her expression. "They just do that."
"In my defense," Luke raised a finger, looking directly at his mother who had explicitly asked them to behave. "She started it."
"You engaged with it," Leia threw to his face. "You're the one incapable of keeping your face straight."
"Enough," Padmé scolded the two of them.
Ruwee's face went from indignation to interest. "What were you saying — if that isn't a breach of your privacy, of course."
Luke chuckled at his polite inquiry. "My sister was just saying that she likes you. You share the same views as her on Anakin."
"You don't?"
"I—" his face fell, "My relationship with Anakin is a little more complicated than that."
"Your sister said the two of you experienced the darkness of the Sith beforehand," Jobal remembered, "I assume she was talking about Vader?"
"Vader hurt the four of us," Leia put it simply, indicating she wouldn't be talking about her affair with Vader. If anybody was willing to address it, they'd know to leave her out.
But the Naberries quickly forgot about the twins — and Han — as their eyes all fell on Padmé again.
"Did Vader — Did Anakin hurt you, Padmé?" Sola asked, hands on her hips, and Padmé found it interesting how her sister was adamant of referring to him by his name of the light.
Padmé, however, would always separate the two names, for her own sanity.
"My last confrontation with him, he had changed. He was… different, but only later I came to learn that that man was Vader," she reminisced with a heavy heart. "We had a fight, and it didn't end well. In his anger, he tried to — to kill me, and to kill the baby inside my wound. He used his power in the Force to choke the life out of me until I fell unconscious to the ground. That was the last time I saw Vader."
That story was all it took for Jobal to start crying again. Even Ruwee, who had been keeping his distance ever since Padmé came back, seemed moved, and placed his hand on Padmé's shoulder.
"Did Vader believe he was successful in killing you?" he asked.
"Y—yes," she agreed. "I believe so. He was assured that he had killed me and our child, otherwise… He would have come for us."
"Why?" Jobal questioned. "If he hated you so much—"
"That's the thing, Mama," Padmé tried to tame her with her tone. "He didn't. I don't think there was ever a day where Vader truly hated me, not even after I died."
"He hurt you, Aunt Padmé," Pooja pointed out. As a member of the Imperial Senate, she was too familiar with Vader's atrocities. "How can you defend him?"
"I'm not defending him," she protested, "I'm just saying that… Anakin had a lot of love in his heart, and he was being manipulated by Palpatine. That sort of love — it can't be magically erased, no matter how twisted inside he might have become. I believe that it was my loss, alongside the loss of our child, that led him into truly becoming Vader, until there was barely nothing left of Anakin in there."
The silence became uncomfortable.
"I'm not defending him," she said again. "I am simply trying to understand him. Because accepting that my Anakin became Vader — that kills me inside every day a little more."
"Oh, Padmé," Jobal cried, reaching forwards and wrapping both her arms around Padmé's head in a motherly embrace. "We are so sorry."
Padmé grabbed the fabric of her mother's shirt, forcing herself to breathe.
"It's okay," she whispered. "I mean, it's not okay, but… It's over now."
"I do believe my mother is right," Luke said. "I don't think Vader ever stopped loving Padmé. Otherwise… He would have killed me, in our final confront. Or rather — allowed Palpatine to kill me. Because the truth about what happened suits for appearances only. I… I'm not the hero that the holonews made me be, but if the galaxy were to find out the truth of what actually happened, the wrong people would have been praised."
"You're not responsible for the deaths of Vader and Palpatine?" Ruwee asked, warily.
"I'm not," he responded. "I know this won't be easy to hear but… I knew there was still light in Vader, I could feel as much. So when I boarded the second Death Star to meet my fate, I refused to fight Vader, as Palpatine wanted me to. Upon my resistance, Palpatine decided to kill me. If Vader hadn't stepped in to save me at the last minute, I would have died, and the galaxy would still be reigned by the Sith."
"I don't understand," Sola shook her head from side to side. "Vader, the man who tried to murder my sister, saved you?"
"So he did know that you were his son," Pooja inferred.
"Did he know about Leia, too?" Ryoo asked, "Or about Padmé?"
"Actually—" Sola glanced at her sister, "Where does Padmé come into the picture?"
"That's right," Pooja perked up her brows, "Padmé didn't know that the twins were alive. And as far as I remember, Leia never spoke of her birth parents during our time in the Imperial Senate."
There were so many questions at once that Luke found himself opening and closing his lips several times, unsure as to where to begin, and no sound escaped his throat.
So, Leia spoke on his behalf.
"Vader didn't know of me, not until his final breath," she said. "But he did know of Luke for a while."
"Yes," Luke took her cue. "We were aware of our bloodline for about a year, although… I'm not certain as to how he found out. The Force, I'd say — we searched our feelings and we knew it to be true. Vader was determined to bring me to the dark side, so we could rule the galaxy as father and son, but I refused. And for that, he hated me as much as I hated him. But a Jedi isn't supposed to feel hatred, and after a long time I came to accept my kinship to Anakin Skywalker, and that Vader had once been Anakin. I saw the light on Anakin, and because of my love for Anakin… Vader came back from the darkness to save me. Because of his love for Padmé and the recognition that I came from Padmé, Vader redeemed himself and killed Palpatine to save me, even if he knew he would perish in combat."
Silence again; the Naberries were uncertain as to what to do with that piece of information, as to how to feel regarding the duality between Anakin and Vader.
"You don't agree with your brother, do you," Ruwee noted, "It is clear from your face whenever he speaks of Vader."
Leia visibly shivered.
"I do not," she agreed, "Vader might have found redemption from the light, but light can't atone for his crimes while he still lived. And redemption must only come from those that he so wrongfully tarnished."
"Your brother redeems him, that much is clear," Ruwee argued, not because he disagreed with her, but because he was engrossed by her perspective. "Did Vader not tarnish your brother, too?"
"He did," Leia conceded, "But he also saved Luke. He might have redeemed himself to Luke, but he did not do the same for the rest of the galaxy. Luke doesn't have the authority to forgive him on behalf of the galaxy."
"Hm," Luke hummed, "If we follow your thinking process, one might argue that Vader did redeem himself in the eyes of the galaxy when he killed Palpatine and freed the galaxy from the Emperor's grasp."
Leia turned to her brother. "Vader can't be absolved for Palpatine's deeds, only for his own. The death of the Emperor was of great resolve, but it was not the only factor that contributed to the freedom of the galaxy. Every single one of us had to give up a part of ourselves so the galaxy we know today came to be, Palpatine's death was simply the last domino piece to fall."
Shrugging, Luke accepted her argument. He would never try to argue her away from her convictions, he didn't have the right.
"For what is worth, Luke," she continued, her voice tamer and softer than before, "Vader tarnished me, and I will never forgive him, or redeem him."
Luke sighed and smiled gently at her. "I know, Leia."
"Nor are you under any obligation to, my child," Ruwee said. "We all watched the press conference, you know. Our hearts ached for you when you addressed the torture you underwent while aboard the Death Star — both physical and psychological, as they made you watch them killing Alderaan — and we relented to the scars on your neck that you showed to the galaxy. Now, and I speak for everybody in this room, our grievance for the acts committed against you become tangible, because we know you came from our flesh and blood. We only don't suffer as much as you do because that would be a disservice to the pain you bear inside, but know, child, that our hearts do throb for you. Just like they do for Padmé and for Luke."
Leia bowed her head, not trusting her emotions to properly acknowledge his words. She felt Han's hand on her shoulder, and her fingers met his.
For her relief, the focus soon shifted away from her.
"That still doesn't explain how Padmé found the two of you," Sola intercepted.
Padmé compressed her lips, as she would now tell her family the last piece of the puzzle — after that, it would be left on the goodness of her family's heart to forgive her or not.
"As I mentioned before, my death was forged, both for my safety and for the safety of my loved ones," she briefly crossed eyes with everybody there. "Had I lived, Palpatine would have done everything in his power to eviscerate me, for he knew I was the only link between Anakin and the light. He would stop at nothing, and if that included harming my family, or my children, to break me, he would do it. That's why I couldn't stay. That's why I couldn't live."
Jobal started crying again.
"You had to hurt us in order to save us," Jobal said in a whisper.
"Yeah," Padmé agreed. "I will never forgive myself for everything I put you through, but I had no other alternative. Between saving you and killing me or saving me and killing you, there is no choice. Not really."
Sola crossed her arms. For the first time, she had no snarky remarks to offer.
"So, that's that. I secluded myself in an Outer Rim farming moon, worked hard to distract myself from the grief of losing my family, my husband, and my children, and… I survived. For over two decades, I survived. I know that surviving doesn't necessarily mean living, but I held tight for as long as I could. Had I given up, had I allowed myself to be buried under my grief, I would have never seen the end of the Empire."
"When did you come to learn about the twins, Aunt Padmé?" Ryoo asked, rubbing her womb.
"When the Empire fell," she answered. "It was broadcasted that a Jedi Luke Skywalker defeated the Emperor and Vader. Luke's last name would have been a loud siren all on its own, but… He's the spinning image of Anakin. When I saw him, I just knew it. I can't explain it, maybe the Force itself was telling me that was my son — I just knew it to be the child I was told that had died."
"My goodness, that's right, you didn't know you were carrying twins," Sola remarked. "Wait — how did you learn you were siblings? I highly doubt you were supposed to possess that knowledge."
"I assume that my father and General Kenobi had orchestrated for us to be reunited and told the truth when we were nineteen," Leia speculated. "After I obtained the Death Stars plans, my mission was to fetch Obi-wan in Tatooine and take him back to Alderaan, but, looking back, I can suspect their ulterior motives."
"I don't expect they had intended to tell us of our heritage to Vader straight away, for we weren't ready for that burden back then," Luke added, "But I think they aimed to tell us of our kinship to another and train us in the ways of the Force. If we chose that path for ourselves, of course."
"I take it that your mission wasn't successful?" Ruwee prompted.
"It was not," Leia conceded with a sigh. "My ship was caught by Darth Vader, and in a desperate attempt to secure the Death Stars plans, I hid them on an astromech and dispatched them to Tatooine to find Kenobi."
"I found the droid, and the plans, and took them to Ben myself. Leia's message asked that we saw the plans safely delivered to Bail Organa on Alderaan, and that's what we set out to do. Turns out — when we reached Alderaan, Alderaan was no more."
"They threatened to inaugurate the power of the Death Star on Alderaan if I didn't start talking," Leia said, feeling like she owed an explanation to them — that she hadn't gambled with the life of her people for her interests only. "It didn't matter, because they were going to kill Alderaan whether I talked or not."
"Our ship got pulled in by the Death Star's tractor beam, and we had no ways of escaping," Luke continued. "That's when we learned that Leia was there, scheduled for execution. We knew we couldn't try to escape without rescuing her, first."
"Mind him," Leia held her index up, "I rescued them. They would have marched for their death if it weren't for me and my capability of actually using my brain.
Han huffed, and Luke opened his mouth to protest — but he couldn't, not when Leia was absolutely right.
"Anyway—we rescued each other all right, but… By then, both Bail Organa and General Kenobi were dead, and they died with the knowledge that we were siblings. We spent the next few years thinking we were just friends."
"Very unfortunate, you see," Han finally made himself heard. "Horny teenagers, you know—"
"Han."
"Han."
"Han."
Leia, Padmé, and Luke warned him simultaneously, but it was too late already.
"Oh no," Pooja burst into laughter, "You guys kissed?"
"Never mind kissing," Ryoo jumped in, just as delighted, "You guys fucked?"
"No!"
"No!"
The twins yelled at the same time, but it was too late — they were blushing and the sisters were giggling at their expense.
"Children, enough," Sola lectured them, although there was a slick smile over her face, too.
"It — It was complicated," Leia stuttered, elbowing Han's shin when he started laughing at her stutter. "I only — kissed — Luke because I wanted to make Han jealous."
"Not sure that makes it any better, sweetheart," Han teased.
"It does," Leia argued, "At least there weren't any romantic feelings involved."
"Speak for yourself, sweetheart."
Luke pulled on the collar of his shirt, embarrassed.
"Come on now, let them be," Jobal at last interfered. "You're rattling the poor things."
"Well, Mama, you have to admit it's kinda funny."
"Mother!" Luke yelled, "You're supposed to be on our side!"
"Maybe don't go kissing your sibling, then," Sola provoked.
By then, Leia was redder than Vader's lightsaber.
Luke was cogitating jumping into the pool, fully clothed, to escape the merciless bickering.
"How did you learn you were related?" Ruwee abruptly asked, being the only one not enjoying the teasing.
"The Force, sir," Luke was quick to provide. "Somehow — we just knew."
"Too bad you couldn't know it sooner," Ryoo commented.
Against all odds, Leia chuckled a laugh at her cousin.
"Leia and I had just learned we were twins when Padmé found us, actually," Luke said, "She was speechless when I told her about my twin sister."
Sola huffed. "And how was it for you? Having your mother back?"
"Heaven."
"Hell."
Then, they both rolled their eyes at one another.
Padmé did too. "We're in a good place now. That's what matters."
Sola nodded, and she walked towards the twins — specifically, towards Luke, whom she sat next to.
"You're rather fascinated by the water, aren't you."
Luke awkwardly giggled. "I'm from Tatooine. I grew up in a desert with barely any accessible water. The fact that you have a pool in your very yard enchants me."
Sola laughed loudly. "Never thought we'd get points for that."
He smiled, still moving his feet on the water from side to side.
"You said that you had never seen a pool before," Sola remembered, "So you've never gone swimming either?"
"No, ma'am."
With a pout, Sola dragged her head up and down several times. And before anyone could stop her — for her family knew her all too well — she put her hand gently on Luke's back, let it linger for a moment, then sent him flying into the pool with a swift push.
"I've been waiting to do that ever since he sat here," Sola said with a proud smug as Luke squirmed, splashing water everywhere.
"Help! Leia!" Luke yelled in agony, his body still wriggling as he tried to float. "I don't know how to swim!"
"Hm, maybe try standing them?" Ryoo suggested, amused. "It's a pool. It's not supposed to be deep."
Luke froze in time and space for a second, then lowered his legs until his feet were touching the bottom of the pool. "Ha ha! Look at that!"
Leia shook her head, embarrassed by her brother. Everybody else was freely laughing — like the revelations of Vader were far in the past already and they had only strengthened their bond as a family because of that.
"Wow, this feels — this feels so nice," Luke said, swirling his body around. His clothes made his body heavier, but to somebody who had never been underwater in his life, he was mesmerized by the clothes wafting around him. "I could stay here for the rest of the day."
"You don't want that," Pooja giggled, "Your skin would get all wrinkled."
"Maybe it would," he swam towards the border of the pool, closer to Pooja, "But it would be worth it."
Jobal and Ruwee laughed at Luke's purity.
Sola turned her face towards Leia, that twisted smile still on her face. Leia frowned, and when she realized what her aunt was going for—
"Absolutely not," Leia said firmly.
"Why not?!" Sola protested.
"I'm in my clothes."
"And?!" Sola threw a glare at her, "So is your brother."
"My brother was raised with beasts, he doesn't care for social norms."
"You're amongst family, Leia," Pooja yelled from the distance. She herself had her feet deep into the water, ready to dip in. "This isn't the Imperial Senate. There are no social norms here."
Leia tilted her head, "Anthropologically speaking—"
"Oh god," Sola grunted, and two seconds later Leia was thrown into the pool.
"That will shut her up," Ryoo said, still just as jubilant, as Leia made it back to the surface. Unlike her brother, she had no choice but to float, for she was too small to stand with her mouth and nose still above water.
At least she knew how to swim.
"I am so—"
"Happy?" Pooja offered, already in the pool, "Free?"
"Undignified!" Leia exclaimed, and everybody laughed unashamedly at her.
"Consider it yours and Luke's baptism into the family," Sola said.
Leia wiggled her feet endlessly to keep her from sinking. "That's a rather unorthodox baptism, wouldn't you say."
"I wouldn't know," Luke replied, even though the remark hadn't been addressed to him. "They didn't have water in Tatooine. The concept of being baptized is unfamiliar to me."
Out of spite, Leia splashed some water at him. He did the same, and eventually those that weren't in the pool began to get drenched, too.
Padmé smiled at her family, at her twins acting like the children they never got to be — her for her royal duties and him for the harshness of the environment where he grew up in. She leaned back, relieved to be home and to have told her story to her family and know she was accepted despite the ache she caused.
She beamed peacefully, content that her two families were close to becoming one.
A/N: i had the first scene between padmé and leia planned ever since I started writing this story, so thrilled that 50 chapters later we finally got to it
feedback appreciated!