4
"Momma?" Amidala gasped. "H-how..when…"
"Ami," Mara gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she felt the strong connection with her daughter.
"Momma!"Amidala rushed into her mother's arms, tears streaming from her eyes. "You're here! Finally you're here. I've needed you so much!"
"Ami…maybe you should go see Jaina…" Leia tried to reply but was cut off by Mara.
"Don't. Don't assume to dismiss my daughter like you do with everyone else!" Mara glared at Leia. She'd had enough of the Chief of state. Leia was trying to separate her from her family and for a while she was letting her do it. But not anymore. Luke's defense and Amidala's embrace had made her see that her place was with them, and she wasn't going to let neither Leia nor the new republic win without a fight.
"Mara. I thought we understood each other," Leia stared at her sister in law, confused where this resistance came from.
"Not anymore we don't Leia. My daughter and son need me. So does my husband. I will not leave them so easily again."
Luke can't help but smile, happy that the appearance of their daughter had put the fight back into Mara.
"This is an outrage! You think you're making things easier on them by resisting? You're not. The NRI will catch up with you and they'll hang you out to dry right in front of your children! Is that what you want? Do you honestly think Luke can handle that again?!"
"I can't handle watching her be put in that carbonite again for the past Leia! I can't handle giving her up again for your precious republic! What if this was Han? Would you be so gung ho about doing what the New Republic wants then?" Luke argued with his sister.
Amidala stood between her father and mother, watching the argument. It was then that she knew she would have to say something. She had a special bond with her aunt…something she shared not even with her parents. Maybe she was the only one to get Leia to see that turning Mara over was not a good idea.
"Aunt Leia…what if the positions was turned? What if Jaina was me and my mother was you and Jaina was pleading for your life? Would you want someone in your position of power to turn his or her backs and break her heart? Because that's what you're wanting to do to me."
"Ami…you don't understand…"
"No you don't understand Aunt Leia. You don't understand how hurt I was at the mother and daughter picnics I could never go to. All the times at night when I needed my mother to just talk to. I know I had father, but it's not the same. And I had you too, but you're Jaina's mom. Not mine. I need my mother Aunt Leia. Here with me. Not frozen in Carbonite. Please, don't take that away from me. I would never do that to Jaina."
Ami's speech touched Leia. The girl was right, she couldn't do that to her and her brother, nor to her own brother. Losing Mara once had almost destroyed her brother, but losing her again would be pushing him over the edge.
"Mara may stay here on the Falcon and here she will remain until I talk to the NRI about a full pardon. No going outside, no contact with anyone else outside the family. Luke and the children can come visit you whenever they want," Leia sighed, hoping that she wasn't making a big mistake.
"Thank you Aunt Leia!" Ami ran over and furiously hugged her aunt. Not surprised when her father joined her.
"You won't regret this sis," Luke gratefully smiled, proud of his daughter's power of persuasion.
"You hear that mother you can stay," Ami laughed, hugging Mara.
"Soon all four of us will be together again," Luke hugged both his wife and daughter.
Han and Leia stood aside and watched the happy reunion.
"I haven't seen the kid this happy in years," Han kissed his wife's forehead. "It's all thanks to you. For once you followed your heart instead of your head. How does it feel?"
"It feels…good," Leia smiled up at Han. "I think I now see what you've been trying to tell me all these years."
"Family is more important than duty," Han smiled, kissing the top of Leia's head