Chapter 205

After settling things in Endor, the Rebels left for Coruscant. Since there was no Emperor or Crown Prince or any Sith, it was up to the winners, the Rebels, to lead the Galaxy once more. Although they hadn't officially stated it, everyone agreed that the Empire must be dissolved and replaced with a new system, the Republic.

Laetitia and the others weren't blind to the mistakes of the Republic, but everyone could agree that if there was anything wrong with the Republic, it came from Chancellor Palpatine or the Jedi Council's ideals, which neither no longer existed.

There were talks about appointing Leah as the new leader of the Republic, seeing she was already the Leader of the Rebel Alliance against the Empire, but she rejected the idea immediately. She was no politician or had any desire to lead anyone. She just wanted a quiet and peaceful life with her daughter away from the war.

But she did name one person, the only person she thought of being the Chancellor. Mon Mothma. That was the decision everyone agreed to unanimously.

After being on Coruscant for 20 years, Leah immediately felt the need to go to the one place in the world she'd always felt safe in ... 100 Republica ... her mother's apartment. She slowly opened the door and entered the apartment she grew up in.

It was as clean as it could have gotten. She could swear it was even cleaner than when Padme lived in the place. No one lived there, but that was deliberate. She knew in her heart that Anakin decided to keep the apartment clean and intact as a memory. He wanted the place of his family.

Leah took a deep breath to stop the tears from coming out. She felt so emotional and broken when she entered her mother's bedroom. She remembered how Padme used to dress like a Senator, work on her hair like a Princess, and spoke softly like a mother.

She missed her. She missed her so much. She couldn't get her back, but she could make sure that her daughter, Iliana would never know the pain of growing up without a mother. She didn't want to put her through that. She wouldn't even wish this pain on her worst enemy.

But she did wonder ... What would Padme think of her children, Laetitia and Luke?

Leah had a feeling that Padme would be heartbroken that they didn't have the lives they should have had. They grew up separated for fear of their own father. Their lives were overshadowed by the Empire. Much of their lives were consumed by conflict. Conflict that almost even reached her grandchild, Iliana.

Padme would definitely blame herself, thinking it was selfish to try and stay as a Senator, or even worse, a mistake to marry Anakin in the first place. But she would be proud as well. Despite their hardships, her children kicked ass and brought peace back to the Galaxy.

They fought. They struggled. And they made mistakes, but they overcame them in the end. She would be proud of her true legacy.

"Ahsoka told me I'd find you here." A voice softly broke the silence.

Leah turned around and found Luke leaning against the door. She smiled as she nodded, not saying a word. She appreciated the silence, but not as much as she appreciated being with her brother in their mother's apartment.

Now they were truly reunited in their place.

"Leah, did you feel that?" Luke suddenly asked his sister as he gasped in pain.

Leah nodded as she winced in pain and pressed her hand on her heart to stop the pain. She didn't know how to break the news to the others, but that didn't matter now. What they felt in the Force, the feeling of almost a planet dying and screaming in pain ... It was impossible to miss the feeling in the Force, even for a newbie.

"General!" Rex nervously yelped as he jumped into the room.

"Talk to me, Rex. What the hell just happened?" Leah asked.

"An outbreak of virus, kid. It's on multiple planets. We think it's related to Imperial Bioweapons Project I71A."

"You mean the Blackwing Virus? But why weren't we informed at all?" Leah demanded, though she knew it wasn't anyone's fault.

"How did it even spread out? I thought this virus was destroyed or banned from using." Luke stated in confusion.

Leah was also curious about that. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling about what started the virus ... or who. And she didn't like what she was thinking. She guessed that Darth Vader put a 'dead man's switch' into his suit. In which case he died, the Blackwing Virus was released to different points of the Galaxy.

She didn't know why he would ever do that. Maybe it was his last way to torment the Galaxy. Or maybe, in his messed-up way, he wanted to get back at the Jedi, who believed in 'no attachment' rule.

She sort of understood where he came from, but couldn't he have at least mentioned something this important before he died? Or after, when he visited her with Thexan? She could have prevented all those deaths.

"No." Luke suddenly said as if he read her mind.

"Please don't tell me that this doesn't have to do anything with him." He begged desperately.

It made sense. The virus started with sickness and blood coughs, but it ended with painful and slow death. She hated how it made sense, and how her father was responsible for yet another death.

Luke and Rex started walking out of the apartment to go to the Command Center. The Blackwing Virus needed to be dealt with. But Luke stopped when he realized Leah wasn't following her. He walked to her to make sure she was okay.

"You coming?"

"Um ... I ... uh ..." She was stuttering as she stood still nervously.

Luke frowned in confusion and alarm. Did the virus somehow get to her? Why was she acting like this?

"Are you alright?" He asked in concern.

"Arcann's here." She bluntly said.

"Huh?! What the hell is he doing here out of exile? Did he bring Iliana? It's still not safe to bring her out of hiding ..." Luke was saying, but Leah stopped him.

"He's not bringing her here ... He's taking me to her."

"What?" Luke asked numbly.

"Can you get everyone? I have to say something to all of you."

"Luke said you wanted us all here. So what's up?"

Han, Chewie, Luke, Ahsoka, Lux, Mina, Rex, Echo, Kix, 3PO and R2 were all staring at Laetitia, who asked them all to meet her at her mother's apartment. She knew her decision was the right one, but it was still hard to find the words to say it.

"Is this about the virus outbreak on multiple planets?" Lux asked.

"I've already spoken to Mon Mothma about it. They're working on the solution. But that's ... that's not what this is about." Leah almost stuttered in the last part.

"Is everything okay, Auntie Lee?"

"Ahsoka, do you remember what you asked me after I found out the truth about Darth Xela, dad and everything else? You asked me what I really wanted, if I even wanted to save dad out of my own desire and not an obligation. Then, I hesitated because I felt like I owed him, but now ... Now, I know the answer."

"I had a feeling when you asked for all of us." Ahsoka said sadly.

"The Mom Ahsoka gut or Jedi Tano gut?" She sarcastically asked to break the ice.

"Both. And you're not that unpredictable. I understood what you really wanted."

"Yeah."

"Seems to me you've known for a while." Kix said.

"And we get it. I mean, we chose to be here, but you ... You were thrown into the battle before you were even born. You didn't want it, and you weren't even old enough to know what you wanted. The Jedi and the Empire forced it on you ... You've always known that. Only now, you've got a daughter to think of." Rex smiled softly at the mention of Iliana.

Leah smiled as she shook her head to hide her tears.

"On Endor, something hit me. I felt something I'd never felt before. When I was gathering my final thoughts, I realized ... I didn't want Sidious dead, and I didn't even want my dad back. All I wanted was to get to Sorgan in any way." She quietly said, looking down.

"She's lost everything in her life ... everything but you." Luke almost whispered sadly when he talked about his niece.

"Mm-hmm. Everything but me ... I'm it. I am everything to Iliana, and I know how much it hurts to have your everything taken away from you. I don't want her to ever feel that." Leah almost cried out.

Everyone was silent, looking down in sadness as they tried to process what she just told them. They definitely didn't see that coming. They did, but ... they also didn't.

"Someone translate that for me, and NOT you, Gold-y! What the hell is she saying?!" Han shouted out in confusion.

"She's leaving." Lux said when no one else dared to say it.

Han frowned in confusion as he turned to Laetitia, who was forcing herself to stop crying and look her brother in the eye. He didn't look happy or sad about what was happening.

"I don't get it. Why are you leaving?!" He demanded loudly.

"Because I've seen enough war. I've seen enough death. I've lost so much. I don't wanna be a soldier anymore. I don't want to be responsible!" Leah cried out, her breath shaking in struggle and guilt.

"I want to live a totally different life. I don't care about power or publicity. I just care about my daughter. I want to know her, and I want her to know me. Believe me, Han, it wasn't easy to come to this decision, but I have to do this for my daughter." She said, asking her friends to understand.

"So let me get this straight. You wanna retire and disappear? You? The most powerful and famous person in all the Galaxy? You're just gonna, what, become a simple farmer or mechanic on some godforsaken planet?" Han asked.

"Yes. That's what I want ... I'm sorry, Han, but my mind is made up. You can't change it." Leah firmly said, closing any room for any disagreement.

"Maybe it's time." Luke quietly said, which made Han almost lose his cool.

"How can you say that? That's it? Just 'we had a crazy run, talk to you later'?" He harshly asked.

"It's not like she's gonna be out of our lives for good. She just won't be fighting. We'll stay in touch with her."

"Han ... we're not gonna turn into those people who used 'work together'. You guys are my family. When I met each one of you, I had a hard time trusting anyone after my father betrayed me, but I knew in my heart that I could trust you completely. I didn't want to, and it scared the hell out of me, but ... I relied on you with everything I had." She quietly said and took a minute to balance her breathing.

"It won't be the same. I know it won't, but ... we'll make it work 'cause we're us, the people who took down the Empire with nothing but their feelings ... I love all of you in different ways ... even you 3PO." Leah added, joking as everyone smiled.

"Why, thank you, Mistress Letty." The golden droid was touched to hear that.

"I'm gonna miss you all."

Laetitia walked to find Arcann looking into nothingness. After she said goodbye to her friends, she felt even more certain about her decision to leave. She needed to be away from the war and tension or suffering it brought. Iliana deserved better than that.

"Is that your new habit now?" She broke him out of his thoughts.

Arcann blinked and almost jumped up in surprise. He hadn't sensed her presence, though he was too deep in his thoughts. Being back on the place he lived in with his father and brother ... brought back memories.

"Maybe ... This place brings back a lot of memories." He sighed deeply.

Leah nodded. She could only imagine. It was weird enough to be in the Jedi Temple after 20 years. What was even weirder for her was that she was meeting Arcann, the son of the person who destroyed the Jedi Temple, in it. When she was feeling that way, she guessed what he was feeling.

"Thank you ... I sensed his death. So ... thanks ... for killing him." Arcann awkwardly said.

Leah didn't say anything and just looked at him. It felt strange to be thanked for killing someone, even if it was a Sith Lord. But it was also the first time she had ever heard Arcann thank her for anything, so she was confused about how she was feeling.

"I didn't kill him. My dad did. But ... no problem. At least Iliana is now safe from her crazy grandfathers."

"And there is that." He agreed with her completely.

"Tell me ... How is my daughter?" Leah finally asked the question she wanted to ask since the beginning of their conversation.

She knew she was alright physically, thanks to Arcann. And she trusted Senya enough to know that Iliana was mentally happy. She believed that, or wanted to believe that. But she still couldn't help but ask the question.

Arcann smiled. It was the first time Leah had ever seen him smile. It reminded her of Thexan so much. Maybe being around Iliana really had changed him. He put his hand in a pocket and brought out a HoloPic. He turned it on and handed it over to Leah, who was already crying.

It was Iliana. Her beautiful brunette girl with shiny blue eyes that resembled her father's, was smiling happily on a hill full of flowers. She looked so happy. It made Leah forget about everything.

"She's amazing. Healthy, happy, smart, forgiving, and kind ... She's the 'perfect little girl'. She looks just like you, but acts nothing like you." Arcann reassured her softly.

"Well, from what you just said, I can't see any similarities between us."

"She's stubborn." He added.

"I take that back." Leah muttered quickly as they both chuckled.

"She is so damn stubborn. She never changes her mind. It's impossible if she does. Before I came here, she made me promise to bring you back to her. That she'd be reunited with her family ... She basically forced me to come and bring you to her personally."

"Of course she did." She smiled as she glanced at the HoloPic again.

"She has your heart ... Her light presence in the Force is relaxing ... She takes that from both of you." Arcann stated quietly in shame and happiness.

"But she doesn't have a Skywalker's anger? Or a Palpatine's sneakiness?" Leah sarcastically asked, hiding her seriousness behind the jokes. She was extremely worried that her daughter took after her grandfathers' in any way.

"Ha! Give it time. I'm sure it'll appear." He pointed out.

"Yeah. Poor kid." She chuckled.

"Well, she doesn't think so at all. She loves you and Thexan with all her heart." He honestly reassured her.

Leah smiled and nodded as she took a deep breath in relief. She suddenly blinked when she actually processed what he said.

"Wait, she knows me?" She almost shrieked in surprise.

"Of course she does. Mother wanted Iliana to know both her parents, and how much they love her ... You may not have been with her, but ... you're still her mom." He stated as he looked down, which made Leah be surprised by the change in him.

"Thank you, Arcann. I ... I appreciate that." She honestly thanked him.

"No problem. It was the least I could do after what I did to everyone, Thexan, Iliana ... you." He added the last part quietly in shame.

Leah smiled. She knew it was as close to an apology she would ever get from the Palpatine, not that she wanted to receive an apology. She didn't feel like she had the right to criticize anyone.

"If you go ahead, you'll find the ship you gave me parked under a tree."

"You're coming with me?"

"No, I ... I have to go after Vaylin." Arcann finally said the name after 20 years.

"Who the hell's Vaylin? And please don't tell me 'your girlfriend'." Leah begged in disgust.

"What? No, ew! Vaylin's ... She's my ... Thexan's ..." He kept stuttering in desperation.

"Spit it out. She's your and Thexan's what?" She demanded when she heard Thexan's name.

"Sister." He blurted out, which made Leah even more confused.

"Huh? Did I hear that right?" She asked dumbfounded.

"You did. Vaylin Palpatine is Sidious' other child, only daughter, and my ... sister."

Leah took a second to just hear what he just told her. She felt like her brain just blew up. Palpatine had a daughter? Why did Thexan never mention this? Where was she?

"Would have been nice to know I have a sister-in-law. There aren't any more of you, are there?" She asked desperately.

"Nah. It's just us." Arcann chuckled.

"Where's she been? I'm pretty sure I would have found out if there was a female Palpatine walking around the Galaxy."

"She's ... she's locked up. She wasn't born naturally. More like father used your genetic sequence to create a clone with your abilities and the Palpatine gene added. It's ... complicated." He tried to explain.

"So she's my clone?" Leah asked, being violated with what she was hearing.

"In a way. She looks like you but with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her personality is more like father's, but her power ... It was too much for even the combination of Skywalker and Palpatine powers artificially. Father locked her up in a private and brutal mental hospital to try and submit her to his will. But ..." He trailed off with no words to say.

"You saved Thexan. Thexan saved me. So I feel like I have to ..."

"Save her." Leah said for him. He couldn't tell if she was giving him an order or just finishing his sentence.

She was disgusted to hear all that. Palpatine tried to clone her? It made sense, since she was the Chosen One's daughter. But it was still violating. Not to mention disgusting and cruel to lock up your own daughter in a mental hospital to torture her just because she was an experiment gone wrong.

This whole thing was wrong. But Vaylin ... She was still a human being.

"Yeah ... I didn't act like a brother to her before, but ... better late than never, right?" He stated in desperation.

"I understand. You go save your sister. If you need any help, let me know, okay?" She offered.

"I will ... Thank you, Laetitia ... for giving me a second chance with Iliana, and everything else."

3 years later

The sound of laughter was heard in the quiet. As Laetitia and Han were sitting on the ground, their children, 5-year-old Iliana Skywalker and 3-year-old Ben Solo were chasing each other and playing around in the grass happily.

They were all happy.

"I still can't believe you have a kid now." Leah broke the silence as she mused

"Yeah. After 3 years, it still doesn't feel real. Like it's a dream, and I'm afraid to wake up ... But Ben Solo, I swear, he's just as good looking as his father." Han snipped like an old man.

"I mean ... sure. The kid's cute." She had to admit.

"I'm glad you took my advice and forgave Qi'ra."

"Me too ... I love her. She's the mother of my child."

He smiled in happiness as he played with his hair. Leah could swear she could see gray hair on his temples. They were all getting old. But he was happy to hear Leah say that. She still didn't like Qi'ra, but she accepted her as Han's wife.

"Well, I hope she's a better wife for you than she is a 'friend' for me."

"Thanks, sister. Means a lot to hear that." He honestly said.

"But still! I've seen 'smuggler' Han, 'playboy' Han, 'lover' Han, 'brother' Han, 'Rebel' Han ... but never in a million years did I think I would get to see 'parent' Han." She snipped to break the awkwardness in the air.

"It's weird, right?" Han laughed with her.

"So weird ... but it also suits you." She smiled.

"Yeah, well, right back at you, mom."

"Ugh. I know." Leah grunted as she turned her focus back on the kids.

She noticed her brother, Luke, with his family join the kids. Right after she left 3 years ago, an assassin from the Empire showed up on Coruscant to kill Laetitia Skywalker. But Mara Jade found her brother, Luke. When Luke felt the conflict in her, he helped Mara reject the dark side and free herself.

A few months later, they fell in love and got married. Now, they had a 2-year-old son named after their father, Anakin Ben Skywalker. While he had his mother's green eyes, his hair was sandy blonde like a Skywalker. Leah adored her little nephew so much.

She shared a smile and soft look with her brother, Senator Luke Skywalker. As he promised, he and Master Ahsoka Tano Bonteri founded an Order for Force-sensitives where they could feel safe and happy for having their powers. She was so proud of her brother, who was a man now.

"Look for other Jedi or any Force-sensitives. They need you. Don't teach them the old ways. Teach them what you believe is right. Remember, love doesn't lead to the dark side. Passion can lead to rage and fear, and can be controlled, but passion is not the same thing as love. Controlling your passions while being in love ... That's what you should teach them to beware, but love itself will save you, not condemn you."

"You know, I ..."

Whatever she was saying disappeared from her mind when she heard a noise from the children. Han and Leah both stood up to see what was happening. They thought they fell into a pit or an animal bit them. It was unlikely, since Iliana was learning to use the Force, but still. When you're a parent, your heart works faster than your brain.

They definitely did NOT see it coming. Iliana was sitting like a champion on Ben, who was grunting to come back up. It was a funny scene to watch. Just as Ben turned around and tried to free himself, Iliana bit him on the nose to keep him down. It didn't hurt him, but it did serve the purpose to keep him down.

Mara and Luke tried to break up the fight as little Anakin cried in helplessness. Leah and Han shared a death glare with each other.

"Your daughter is a dictator, like her grandfathers." Han sarcastically stated.

"It's not my fault your son can't protect himself, like his father." Leah sarcastically shot back.

"Get him, Lina!"

"Ben, be a man and get up, son!"

"Anakin, stop crying and prove yourself!"

They both laughed as they ran to their kids. They had gotten used to their bickering and rivalry about their children.

Leah had a lot of moments when her life turned upside down, when everything changed. When she was a kid struggling with her life in the Jedi Temple, she was taught change was a bad thing. She also agreed that change was the last thing she needed in her already-complicated life. But she was wrong.

Change was both good and bad. Without the changes in her life, she would not be the person who she was today, or have the things she did. She was grateful to every time when everything changed.

The End :)