Title: The Color of Truth
Author: Ticklesivory
Summary: Following the death of Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan, Padmé, and the rest of the remaining Jedi return to Coruscant. They will face more challenges, the most difficult one - figuring out what to do with their newest and most dangerous member.
Warnings: None
Rating: T
Note: This is a continuing story that began with "A Greater Devotion," followed by "Restoring Balance." This installment will deal with issues from those stories that a reader will most likely not understand unless they read them first, so please do. :)
Chapter One
Saying goodbye to the people of Dantoo Town was difficult. Over the past two years, we had grown close, especially with Dela, whom we considered to be an extension of our family.
The elder hugged Leia tightly and kissed her chubby face numerous times before we loaded our transport. I promised Dela we'd return to visit as soon as possible, but it didn't stop the tears from flowing – down both our faces.
Once we had engaged hyperspeed and Dantooine was but a tiny speck in the void of space, Obi-Wan took Leia to the back of the ship in an attempt to get her to take a nap. I realized I should join them, but I was curious. The leaders of the Jedi, the ones who had been on the Council and had survived, were gathering into a circle. I had a feeling our daughter was going to be their main topic of discussion.
Over the years, I had discovered just how blind the Jedi Council was. How they had not suspected the evil intentions of Chancellor Palpatine was beyond me. Even I had seen through his guise and had questioned his motives years ago. I had come to believe the talent to do so wasn't mine, but that the ability had been given to me through the Force via the bond Obi-Wan and I shared.
If such minimal access to the Force had offered me such insight, why hadn't the rest of them been able to see?
Perhaps they had grown complacent or lazy. Master Qui-Gon, who was considered a rebel amongst the Jedi and would never be associated with the Council in any way, called them narrow-minded and negligent. I tended to believe they were too self-righteous and conceited. They believed nothing could get past them and therefore, had never even considered that evil was lurking in the shadows.
With this new realization, I had changed my opinion about Obi-Wan's Master. In the beginning, all those years ago, I had believed Qui-Gon to be unreliable and insubordinate who didn't answer to anyone but himself. He had very little respect for authority, including that of a Queen.
These days, I saw him as being more in touch with the Force than these stodgy members of the Council who seemed more prone to debate than to act. In this way, they reminded me of the Senate. Their present discussion subject was an example.
"She is certainly an anomaly," Kit Fisto pointed out.
"My issue with the child is that she has no idea how to control her power. Any disappointment could possibly result in catastrophe."
I frowned at Mace Windu's assessment, not that he wasn't speaking the truth. It was that he was also dismissing any chance of Leia's own ability to learn self-control. She had already improved in that area!
"Working with her, I have been," Master Yoda countered. "Though stubborn, like her father, learning, she is. Clouded, her future is."
Again with this 'clouded' business. What did that mean? That Yoda couldn't see very far? Or not at all?
"She's too young to be dismissed and too powerful to be ignored. She must be trained or else the darkness will seek her out and use her talents for its own benefit."
"I agree with Master Fisto," Mace Windu professed. "Either she learns how to master her abilities or she may have to be eliminated entirely, for the safety of the galaxy."
What!?
/Are you eavesdropping again?/ Obi-Wan's voice sounded in my head.
/I just overheard Mace tell the council that Leia may have to be eliminated. Is he saying the Jedi are going to have to kill her? If he thinks I'm about to let that happen, he's got another thing coming!/
/I'm sure that's not what he meant,/ Obi-Wan told me to probably try and calm me down. It wasn't working.
/Sometimes, Windu could use better wording. He probably meant she would be forbidden to become a Jedi./
"If she turns, then perhaps an injection would be in order," Windu had the nerve to say.
My jaw fell open and I could no longer stand by while these blind bats determined the fate of my daughter.
I stepped out of the shadows and faced them, my focus on Mace, my expression most likely revealing the fury his insensitive declaration had caused.
"You will do no such thing! I can't believe you all are sitting around deciding the fate of my daughter! Of Obi-Wan's daughter! We won't allow her talents to be taken away! To be eliminated! She is who she is because it's what the Force wants her to be! Can't you all see that? She's here for a reason! I don't know what that is, but I can tell you one thing: Without her, none of you would be sitting here right now and the Chancellor would still be alive. Chew on that for a while!"
I stomped off toward the private sleep cabins and ran smack into my husband, who took me in his arms. I was shaking with anger and defiance.
"I can't believe them! The audacity!" I hissed through clenched teeth.
"Calm down. You were right. I won't allow anything to happen to Leia. Even if they try to delete her M-count, which I don't think they would – I'll make sure she's kept safe, even if that means we leave Coruscant again. There are more hidden places in the galaxy than you can possibly imagine. We'll find someplace to be happy. I promise."
Obi-Wan's words, as usual, helped ease my anxieties and I returned his embrace while laying my head against his chest, listening to the strong and steady beat of his heart.
Following the death of the Chancellor and the arrest of Count Dooku, I had been confident we would share a bright and hopeful future. Now, I wasn't so sure.