I DO NOT OWN STARWARS IT IS PROPERTY OF LUCAS FILM AND DISNEY
A/N Thank You: Noncreativeuser, rotjfg18, AnakinandPadme, GinnylovesPotterforever24, DWGolondor, rmatri540, hafizatul sufiah yaacob, TheLegendaryBalance, Vegitunks1, zade12, XXX1994 for Fav/Following
AN: Special thanks to Jadaerys, ILDV, AnakinandPadme for reviewing
AN: I added more to 'The Visit' part to go with what I wrote for the next chapter. so an update but not quit
17 BBY
"Leia," Padmé said to her daughter who was eagerly walking as far as her tiny legs could carry down the long regally decorated hallway.
Remembering back to when this adventurous little toddler had taken her first steps.
On a rare calm day, mother and daughter decided to take the day to spend the day in one of Bail's favorite spots near the bottom of the mountain, where the air was serene. Padmé had brought some things for a picnic with Threepio and R2-D2 in toe.
When their blanket was set up Leia was on the opposite side of the picnic, she wanted to be with her mommy. The Alderaanian princess had this determined look on her face. Padmé looked across to see her daughter use the stroller to prop herself up. Her mother continued to look at her and spoke up. "Yes that's it, sweetie, you can do it."
Her ten-month-old daughter listened and with a little determination, she squashed the rest of her fear. She then made her first couple steps across the blanket to her mother.
Padmé who could not hold back the smile and tears of joy at her daughter's first steps.
"Oh yes Leia! You did it!" said Padmé with a big amount of pride. The whistles in the background indicated R2's excitement too.
"Oh, our little princess is growing up so much. Mistress Padmé I must save this moment in my memory bank." Said Threepio with pride in his high pitch voice
Leia enjoying the pride and the attention she was receiving put her hands up and felt the force flow right through her. Not knowing what was doing, the burst of energy shook the little picnic and the stroller.
Padmé holding in panic smiled at her little girl. "I think someone wants something to eat." She said to cover her feelings.
The former senator was hoping that another Jedi or force sensitive will come to protect Leia.
Watching the HoloNet had been something Padmé did to see Darth Vader spread his rule and fear throughout the galaxy. Her fear almost matched the anger she had for that man.
Crash!
The young mother was drawn out of the memories staring at Leia who gave her an innocent look.
"Swary mama," Leia said. These incidents are starting to get out of hand. Padmé during the Alliance High command meeting earlier in the week had been discussing possible solutions for the very few Jedi that survived Order 66. Padmé was vocal about their need when spoken about. She saw their necessity for the galaxy's survival.
Padme had also been in contact with Obi-Wan and he managed to locate Ahsoka. She was hiding on Lothal. He also was able to convince her to come and help Leia.
Obi-Wan has been traveling, looking for any Jedi in hiding while flying under the Empire's radar for nearly two years.
She has not seen him since the day he delivered the news about the Lars'….and Luke.
Luke
It still hurts to think about her son.
The former queen does grieve for her son. With the small things.
When she sees, Leia master a milestone like walking or talking. When she sees how well she interacted with Bail's adopted daughter Winter. She sees how great they get along. Even when she is out of the palace walking around the city seeing mothers holding their sons.
It hurts.
The young mother sometimes at night thinks of that moment she saw him, heard him for the first time. Hearing the wail of his first breath of life, how tiny he was with his eyes closed. How slimy and soft his cheek was when she grazed it.
In her mind, she holds on to that moment. It was closest she ever came to holding him.
When her mind gets on that track, she also thinks about her husband.
She thinks about Anakin, the guilt sometimes is unbearable. Padmé sometimes goes over in her head those last couple of weeks they had.
Going through what she should have done.
She should have gone to Obi-Wan when Anakin had his first nightmare. She should have ran to Naboo and told her parents everything the minute she found out she was pregnant. She should have told someone about her marriage.
This lie they had destroyed the whole galaxy.
No Palpatine did. That Sith had everyone fooled from the start.
Padmé knew the stress was getting Anakin. She saw in his eyes. The former senator convinced herself once everything with the war was over they would run away to Naboo. She feels that she has failed him too.
Sleeping without Anakin is unbearable. The bed is so cold and empty.
And the pain is always the same.
The pain made it into her heart, and her friends had started to worry. So, Padmé had to find ways to cope with it. With the sudden loss of her husband, son, and beliefs.
It took some time, but by Leia's second life day Padmé had made her way into fighting shape.
She goes to the gym that Bail had specially made for her. Where she runs the track punches the bag and shoots her blaster targets. Padmé had started advancing rapidly with different fighting styles she had learned.
Anything to keep her mind off the pain.
Sometimes Padmé cries for hours. She thanks the force that Bail has a private therapist for her.
Padmé tells herself everyday now more than ever she has to be strong, especially for Leia.
Still lost in her thoughts Padmé continued to make her way to the dining area where the five of them spent most of their meals together.
Living in the palace was tense at first for Padmé. But the staff and security have made her feel protected and safe especially when Darth Vader came to visit.
A normal morning in Alderaan for the new Rebel leader. Padmé was in the middle of making strategies for rebel recruitment of both people and resources.
Padmé joined the rebellion once she returned from Naboo. She had taken the name Ara Curran, an Alderaan national who has worked with children and many charities. It was the story she had constructed to the different recruits and people she came in contact with. Mon and Bail are the only ones know truly who she is.
Padmé knows her involvement with the rebellion was risky. But she had to fight.
While Padmé was work, Leia who was fourteen months' years old was playing with her toys.
Bail came into Padmé's office inside the palace that was near her room.
"Padmé I need to talk to you." Bail said with worry in his voice. As he rushed into her office.
This alerted the new rebel leader immediately.
"What is going on," Padmé responded in a concerned voice and drawing her attention away from her work.
"Vader is on his way to the Palace. There was nothing I could do to stop this." Bail said with all his seriousness.
Padmé looked up with a tremor of fear evident in her eyes as she digested this information.
"Wh-what am I going to do, Leia how Leia! I need to protect her I-" Padmé said as she started to unravel.
Bail crossed over her office to where Padmé was near a breakdown. He pulled her into a hug and consoled his best friend.
"I have a plan in place for this." Bail said as Padmé shakily started to stand up from behind her desk.
Padmé looked up at Bail with surprise still overwhelmed by fear.
"Breha and I have a cottage up in the mountains. We hardly used it because Breha prefers the summer house in the country. Breha, Mon, and I knew when either the Emperor or Vader came to our planet that you and Leia needed to be somewhere safe. I had the place stocked with plenty of food, rations, and clothing if this ever happens or continues to happen…" Bail started as Padmé started to tremble.
"…And before you feel the guilt for the sacrifice we are making, please do not. I know you would gladly do it if roles were reversed. You have no idea how much your presence in the Alliance is affecting our movement. Your daughter Leia is important too. She needs to be kept safe from Vader and the Emperor before her presence is known. I know Leia will have an active role in changing the galaxy like her mother." Bail amended.
Padmé who was still shaking with fear felt a calm flow through her at her close friend's words. Blinking the rest of her tears away Padmé broke away from Bail.
"Leia…" The little girl broke out of what she was doing to look up at her mother. "You and I or going on a little trip together," Padmé said as she picked her up. Leia had a look of confusion on her face. Leia very quickly felt the fear radiating from her mother. Her confused expression instantly matched the fearful one of her mother. The young child started to cry out in distress.
Then reached out for comfort.
"Do you have the speeder ready?" Padmé asked trying to hold it together emotionally for her daughter who was crying.
"Yes, Artoo and Threepio are in ready to leave." Bail said with confidence.
Bail picked up Leia's stuffed Bantha that was almost forgotten on the floor and gave it to the crying child.
The former Nubian senator snapped out of her sorrow briefly to follow Bail to the speeder. While trying consul Leia.
"I must protest Sir Bail. Imperial troops are coming everywhere I will not risk the princess or mistress Padmé. We should just hide." Threepio elevating the worry in the room.
"I have the coordinates present in the speeder. I just need a person to drive." Bail said with a hint of annoyance. Padmé looks to Bail and to her protocol droid.
"We have to do this, please." She looked at Threepio.
R2 beeped with reassurance.
The gold droid who seemed to be more human than anything looked at his mistress. He was worried about her. He also pledged would not let the Imperials take her or the little princess. Plus, Artoo would not let him hear the end of this.
"If I must. I am not going to like it." The gold droid reluctantly said.
Padmé gave a smile through her tears and hugged the golden droid.
o-o-o
The cottage was modest sized from the outside silhouette through the thick fog that surrounded it. It lied on the mountain side of the hidden flat top mountain in the range. The dense fog masked the life forms behind it. Even beings who were strong with the force. Although only a ten-minute drive, if you did not know where you were going you could be lost for hours.
When Threepio landed next to the cottage. Padmé who was a mess took her crying daughter to the inside and headed straight for the small kitchen. She put the crying Princess in the high chair and her wailing was raising the tension in the room to new heights.
She heard Threepio and Artoo follow in toe.
"Threepio I need you to help me find some blue milk." Padmé is trying to her best not to wince at the loud noise her daughter was making. It was bad enough she wanted to do the same thing.
"Yes mistress Padmé, although I must be concern if any of the contents of this milk is the proper date of consumption we the princess over there to be safe- "before Threepio could finish his worry rant, Padmé from the fear, the anger, and the annoyance, unleashed like a Kyrat Dragon on the golden droid. Like the droids or the Senate has never seen before.
"I ASKED YOU TO HELP ME FIND SOME BLUE MILK. MY DAUGHTER AND I RIGHT NOW ARE HIDING FROM A PSYCHOPATH! RIGHT NOW I NEED YOU TO STOP ACTING LIKE A SCARED WAMPA! RIGHT NOW, I NEED TO FIND SOME BLUE MILK SO I CAN HEAT THE KRIFFING THING UP AND GIVE IT TO MY DAUGHTER!"
This seemed to snap the gold droid out normal worried state to go to the refrigerator to help the former senator look for some Bantha Blue milk.
The princess was starting to calm down when she felt some unfamiliar waves of comfort coming through the force. This brought the tension in the in the room down tremendously.
The blue milk was signaled done, and the senator for the next 10 minutes gently rock her daughter to sleep. She took her over to her crib and placed there. Padmé kindly asked R2 to watch the sleeping princess.
She left the only bedroom in the cottage. Walked through the short hallway to the front door. The former Nubian found a rock sat down and start to cry. Cry about herself for being so weak, crying from the fear of that man, crying for Leia, for Luke, for Anakin, for everyone.
o-o-o
It does not take long but the princess starts crying again Artoo starts letting out worried whistles to look for his mistress.
Princess Leia feeling alone and scared reaches out again for comfort.
Padmé who passed out on the dirt ground from her grief starts to slowly rise when she hears a bang followed by the worried whistles of her Astromech droid saying something about Leia.
"Leia..." The former senator leaped into battle mode ready to fight off the Emperor himself to save her daughter the pain.
She ran through the remains of the destroyed door to make it to her daughter to calm her down again.
Leia still upset from the fear and confusion she was feeling this past hour made her reach out again for comfort. Searching for that calm.
Padmé was a mess from crying and lying on the dirt ground. Picked up her daughter and sang one of her favorite songs.
The princess, whose pink toddle's dress was ruined by the dirty hands of her mother, began to smile.
She loved her mother very much.
"I hope I am not intruding, I would like to offer my services to make a lunch for you and the Princess." Said the gold droid slightly worried the Padmé will snap at him again.
Padmé looking at her daughter who looked a little cranky, and had fresh tear tracks around her eyes. But that warm smile, Anakin's smile started to grace her face.
"Sure Threepio, I think that would be nice for all of us." Padmé gave the droid a smile. "Threepio, I am so sorry about before." She said in an apologetic tone.
"It quite alright. I must learn to be calmer with all this conflict in the galaxy. I could only hope that Artoo could teach me to be calmer. Did you know that he flew with one of the heroes of the clone wars..." Threepio started to babble.
"It is fine Threepio." Padmé gave a smile.
The trio made their way to the kitchen. Padmé put Leia in her high chair and thought about contacting Bail. But decided against it.
She looked at the splinters that scatted in and outside of the cottage. Artoo whistled an apology when he caught sight of his mistress, looking at the damage he caused.
"It is okay Artoo. I know you just wanted to protect Leia." She said as she pets the top of his dome.
o-o-o
After a calm lunch, Padmé took a long hot shower to wipe away all the dirt and grime from the day. She dressed carried Leia from her crib to the big bed that was in the room. Padmé lied down and put Leia to lay next to her.
The young mother closed her eyes and quickly fell into an easy sleep.
A couple hours later Leia rose and decided that she wanted to play. She noticed her mother was still sleeping. So, she started pulling her dress, doing anything to wake up her mother. When it did not seem to work, she tried something her mother like to do. To her to gently wake her up.
With her tiny hand, she grazed her mother's cheek.
Padmé at the skin contact fluttered her brown eyes opened. She half expected to see sparkling blue eyes full of love, greet her. Instead, it was the soft brown ones of her daughter.
"Leia..." the former queen said with sleep evident in her voice.
"Mama..." the young brunette said softly.
Padmé rose quickly at that. Did she just…talk. her first word.
Leia pulling on her hand spoke again "…Mama pa…"
"Oh, you want to play." She said in a playful tone.
"…pay...pay…"
Padmé let a tear go down, a happy one. There will be days like this. Where there is no hope. Living in fear and absolute terror.
But Padmé refuses to feel it. Padmé will not wallow not for the memory of her husband and son. Her daughter. And not for the warrior she always is. She will see the end Empire. Her and Leia will ensure it.
Padmé thanked the force they were able to make it to the cottage and stayed hidden.
Padmé gave a small smile to that memory.
What Bail told her after surprised her a bit. His flight commander was on standby to receive Vader at the spaceport but it was delayed. By twenty minutes.
Odd…
Drawing out of her thoughts following her incredibly graceful toddler. Once Leia started walking, her strides felt like the perfect mix of her mother and father. But her stance had an air of command like her father. Padmé just could see it.
Finally getting to her destination the rebel leader who started to enjoyed wearing Alderaanian robes and hairstyles crossed the threshold to the dining room. The former senator was shocked and immediately happy to see who was waiting for them.
o-o-o
Ahsoka Tano sat in a private dining room in Aldera Royal Palace. Waiting to start her new path in this galaxy. She had been lost the past couple of years.
Searching for a purpose.
When the Jedi order abandoned her during her trial, she had very few allies who believed in her character and her innocence. By the time the trial was over, she felt it in her entire being reject the idea of being a Jedi.
Ahsoka knew that her Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker felt that he failed her when she did not want to continue on in the Jedi Order.
After her departure, the Togruta female had searched the force and the galaxy for her purpose. But less than a year later the ominous shift in force occurred.
The dawn of the Empire started to spread across the galaxy. Along with Order 66. But none of that compared to emergence the creature that is Darth Vader.
She had witnessed on the HoloNet and heard what atrocities that monster has committed. The families he destroyed. His enforcement tactics. The Jedi he massacred.
Darth Vader, the true lap dog to the Emperor.
Seeing this, Ahsoka in her true character searched for the rebellion she felt that was in the works. Over time she held out faith that her former masters survived the purges but she was apprehensive reaching out.
Reaching out through the force had become a dangerous practice. Ahsoka had to hide the two lightsabers she usually carries. She saw the penalty just for carrying one.
It was a dangerous time for being a Jedi and a force user.
It took her a year to find a resistance group that was willing to take her in. As she was there for months, Ahsoka noticed the organization and inspiration the resistance groups had for the missions they were going on in their victory and in their defeat. It was slowly starting to merge with the main rebellion.
The Empire was also starting to take notice.
The Ex-Jedi knew that it wouldn't be long until Darth Vader would start personally going after them.
Still, she practices her Jedi teachings. Practicing her lightsaber skills, her combat, and meditations. The principles of their teachings she still holds close to her heart. It was what her master would have wanted.
The force user does this every day, between missions, supply runs, and in her quarters. She even has taken to training her squadron in her fighting styles.
One day, during her mediations, she felt a signature that she has not felt in two years.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ahsoka felt a glimmer of hope in her heart.
Something she had not felt since her departure from the Jedi Order.
The ex-Padawan was both relive and sadden to see Obi-Wan at the base. Relived because he had survived the Jedi purges. But sad, because of the noticeable absence of her former Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker.
Obi-Wan sensing her emotions, he told her what happened after she left….including what Anakin had done. To the temple and the younglings...and his death at the hands of Darth Vader.
It truly broke her heart.
When Ahsoka finally consoled herself. She asked Obi-Wan what she could do to help. As much as she felt the Order betrayed her, a balance was needed in the galaxy. This is also an opportunity to reestablish the new Jedi order for the new force sensitives the ones they could save from clutches of the Empire.
The Master Jedi told her of a child, a girl along with her mother who was taken in by the Organa's, and the child was very strong with the force. The child needed to be protected from the Empire and Darth Vader.
She was the galaxy's only hope.
Ahsoka did not even hesitate to say yes. She knew that this was her path. Her destiny to protect and train this child.
After a tearful departure and new comlink that Obi-Wan had given to all the surviving Jedi he found, Ahsoka found a passage to Alderaan.
The journey was a few days' time. She made it to the palace unnoticed to the public. Pulling her brown cloak tighter, she made her way to the Aldera Royal Palace.
Ahsoka was surprised was when Bail greeted her with a hug and was more than happy to take her in. The Viceroy of Alderaan took her to the private dining room. He told her to enjoy the food while waiting for the mother and child to come in.
Ahsoka heard a soft but familiar voice say 'Leia' followed by a crash.
She must be powerful
Ahsoka thought who was still waiting for them to eat the delicious spread.
o-o-o
The Nubian woman crossed into the dining room, with her daughter in front of her and Leia came to a stop.
Padmé looked up, and saw the orange-skinned Togruta with wide blue eyes, with pale blue markings on her montrals wearing a brown cloak. Padmé did little to conceal her happiness pick up Leia who was looking at her with curiosity in her shy brown eyes.
Ahsoka stared back at her with shock and smiled, that stretched the white markings on her face, and the marks above her eyes.
"Padmé!" Ahsoka said with shock. She had not seen the Nubian senator since she defended her in her trial. When the Empire rose, she heard that the senator had passed. Along with her unborn child.
Her child who was being held by Padmé now.
Ahsoka stood up and gave both mother and daughter a hug.
"I thought you were dead. I heard you were pregnant too... How I don't believe..." Ahsoka was starting to babble. How was she alive? Who was Leia's father? She has so many questions.
Padmé put the toddler down to pull Ahsoka into another hug. "I am so sorry..." she said through her tears. "…There so much I need to tell you but first…there is someone I want you to meet."
Leia looked at the strange woman with shyness. She was almost scared when the strange woman kneeled to be at her head level along with her mother.
"Ahsoka this is Leia Shmi Skywalker…" Padmé noted Ahsoka's look of surprise. "Leia this one of my special friends Ahsoka Tano."
Ahsoka reached out with her hand and Leia reached with her tiny hand. Leia's eyes widened in shock as they both connected with the force.
"Wooh." Said Leia, as she pulled back from the Togruta female. It was the first time she ever felt anyone who could feel the force just like her.
It was amazing for Leia.
Ahsoka was tearing up. Skyguy has a kid! A daughter! With Padmé! She always suspected he had feelings for the senator. Apparently, he had given into those feelings, the pint-sized proof was there.
Suddenly the growling of Leia's stomach broke everyone's emotional musings.
"I think we all need to eat now…" Padmé taking notice of the delicious spread around them.
"Tummy hugee." added the little toddler said as her mother put her in her high chair.
o-o-o
After a nice breakfast, the trio along with Artoo-Detoo took a walk to the lake that surrounds the palace.
Ahsoka and Padmé sat on a nearby rock and watched Leia and R2 play a little far ahead.
"So, you and Skyguy?" Ahsoka said trying to broach the topic of the two with Leia out of earshot.
"Yes. Were we that transparent?" Padmé says with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Well, Skyguy was never shy about his emotions," Ahsoka said with a mischievous grin that earned a smile from the former senator.
"I always felt the fondness when he talked about you. There were also times I thought I imagined looks he was sending you." Ahsoka started. "I still can't believe you both have a child together…" she looked at Leia playing with R2. "...How long was there something going on between the two of you?"
Something she has been dying to know since she has first laid eyes on the little girl. Leia looked at least two-years-old.
Padmé feeling that familiar guilt form a knot in her throat, she swallowed it down and looked into Ahsoka's eyes. She was Anakin's Padawan, his sister, Padmé in that right cared for her too.
"I am sure he told you how we met…" Ahsoka gave a nod with a smile. "We were married on Naboo after the first battle at Geonosis…" looking at the young Togruta and carefully reading her expressions. "…Artoo and Threepio were witnesses to the whole thing. For three years, we hid it from the galaxy so we would be able to continue as senator and Jedi…" she gave a small smile.
"…I found out I was pregnant when Anakin was fighting in the Outer Rim…I think it happened shortly after you left the Order." Padmé noticed Ahsoka guilty look that formed in the white markings on her face.
The rebellion leader seeing this immediately went on the defense. "…I know you think that your decision was not the right one, to leave the order. But I understood why you did it. For me, that is what should have been one of the many signs that the order was losing its way. I also should have seen what it had done to Anakin." Ahsoka sunk a little further earing that but continued to listen. "I should not have been so consumed with what the war was doing to the Senate and just paid more attention to us. How disillusion he had become with the Order" Padmé gripped her hand and tried to not let the next part come out in hysterics. "I just wish…" Padmé started to tear.
This frequently happened when she thought of Anakin's fall. The security footage from the temple started to constantly play in her head.
Ahsoka felt this and sent calming waves to Padmé while trying to control her own grief. "It is ok Padmé…" she said as she gave the Nubian woman a hug. "…Obi-Wan told me everything that happened… with Anakin." Ahsoka looked at her friend who was pulling herself together.
"All we could do now is fight. It's what Anakin would want us to do…." Ahsoka started looking determined as ever. "I know it won't be easy in this new galaxy that we live in… I also expect Leia to be every bit as stubborn as her parents…" This earned a small chuckle from Padmé.
"Anakin, Obi-Wan and you Padmé have been my family, stood by me when the Jedi and republic abandoned me…" Padmé looked on as she took in Ahsoka's words. "For that, I will be forever grateful …In my heart and mind, I would be honored to train and protect Leia." Padmé was not force sensitive but she felt the gravity of Ahsoka's words. It brought a big smile to the former senator's face and felt the pure light in her being from that statement. She looked at Ahsoka to see how much she has grown from her Padawan days. How her spirit might have dimmed but never died. She then moved from her spot and gave her another hug.
Padmé felt her heart heal a bit. Leia will be safe. The rebellion will continue to grow. Hope had gained more strength that day in the dark shadow of the Empire.
AN: I do not have a Bata reader but I am always trying to fix my story so as I updated the earlier chapter might change
AN: Review, Review, Review! I want to know what you like about the story!
AN: Thank you all I hope you like what I added!