Leia Skywalker placed the ring of white flowers on her mother's head stone.
It had been nine years since her mother's death. Her father's hand rested
on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. But she would find no comfort
here. Her lips trembled at the engraving on the headstone. It was simple:
Padme Skywalker. That's all it said. It didn't say loving mother, loving
wife, didn't even have her life years on it. Nothing more but her name.
She was an eleven year old and with out a mother. No mother, no real family. Her father tried to be there for her and Luke, he really did but it was hard on him. It was hard on all of them. The media, despite her father being high up in the Empire, followed them around everywhere. Thankfully, for her family's sanity, the Empire knew nothing of their mother or where she was buried.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Her mother had been a great queen and a great senator in her time but her father had been a Jedi Knight and they had been forced to marry in secret. The only Jedi who knew of the marriage was his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Leia watched as her twin brother, Luke placed a ring of red flowers on their mother's head stone. Luke always brought her red flowers. Leia choked back the tears as their father placed a large arrange of many colored flowers from her home planet of Naboo in front of her headstone.
Leia had never been to Naboo and she really wanted to go. Really, really badly but it was too painful for her father. And they never went anywhere without their father.
Leia heard soft footsteps behind them and before she even turned around she knew it was Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan came to pay his respects every year, on this day, like they did. Leia turned around and hurried over to embrace the Jedi.
Leia liked Obi-Wan very much. When he pulled back he looked her over. "You get prettier every year." Leia could only smile. Obi-Wan kissed her forehead and held out a small box wrapped with ribbon, "Your mother bought this on our first trip to Corellia, right after you were born, and I think she would have wanted you to have this."
Leia opened the box slowly and lifted out a beautiful white pendant, "Oh, its beautiful." She hugged the Jedi Master again, "Thank you."
Leia stepped back and allowed Luke to have a few words with Obi-Wan. She hoped it would not turn out like it did the previous year. Last year, Luke punched Obi-Wan and blamed him for their mother's death. Obi-Wan produced a small box and handed it to Luke. Luke opened it and pulled out a circular object.
"Its so you can practice with your lightsaber," Obi-Wan informed Luke, "Its one of the newer models."
Luke pursed his lips, "Thank you." Leia knew the memories of last year were still weighing heavily on his mind. As well she thought that it should be.
Their father cleared his throat, "Ah children, could you please give us a minute?"
Leia and Luke both nodded, "Of course father." They walked away, and as every year dreaded what might become of Obi-Wan and their father's yearly argument.
***
But the children could not have been more wrong about this year. "Thank you," Anakin told Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan placed his ring of flowers, blue from Alderaan, on the headstone, "You're welcome, Anakin."
The other man pointed his finger in his old master's face, "I am no longer Anakin. I am Darth Vader now."
Obi-Wan nodded, "Just as much. Good-bye."
Their talk was brief. The briefest they'd ever had in the past nine years. Obi-Wan would return to seclusion and Anakin would return to Corscant with his kids.
It was a never-ending cycle.
***
Leia and Luke waited patiently in the speeder for their father. He would take them back to the ship and they would go to another military base. Like they did every year.
***
Leia couldn't have been more right. She and Luke sat listening to the droning of one of the Grand Admirals. She was tired and wanted to go home.
Home. Wherever that was. Typically Corscant but more and more these days it was their ship, Lady Princess. Leia had christened the ship for their mother two years ago after some Rebels blew their old ship, Dark Knight, out of the sky.
Luke was tapping his fingers on the armrest and Leia gently reached over with the force to make him stop. Father hated to be interrupted when he was in a meeting. Why her and Luke had to attend them she didn't know. Probably to keep up appearances. She was sick of keeping up appearances. She just wanted to lead a normal life for once. Normal. That was a thought. Her and Luke were not normal and they would never be normal.
She took in a deep breath and concentrated her energy somewhere else. Usually when they had to sit in boring meetings like this her and Luke would play head games using the force but Luke was distracted to today. Not that she could blame him. Luke couldn't remember their mother, unlike Leia.
It was odd and a bit hard to explain but Leia could remember their mother. They'd barely begun their lives when she'd been killed but yet Leia could remember her. She could remember Obi-Wan bouncing her and Luke on his lap, their mother playing with them, all sorts of memories. And it really bothered Luke that Leia could remember their mother and he couldn't.
"Well thank you for your time Lord Vader," The Grand Admiral said and gracefully bowed out.
Leia and Luke both stood at attention as he left. Luke let a deep sigh go, "I thought it was never going to end."
Vader laughed and hugged both his kids, "Oh kids I'm sorry you had to go through this today."
"Its okay, Daddy." Leia said before Luke could spit out some crude comment.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Of course." Leia said and then she elbowed Luke.
"Yeah. Its fine." Luke said.
"Good." He said and kissed both their foreheads, "I have a few more things to do before we leave. So you two can explore for a while if you'd like."
"YES!" The twins cried and hurried out of the room.
Vader watched them run out of the room with a heavy heart. He loved both his children more than anything in the galaxy but he felt so sad for both of them for having to live this life. Sometimes he wondered if maybe he shouldn't have given Obi-Wan the children. At least to protect them for the dangerous he subjected them to.
He shook his head and walked out of the room with a swish of his cloak.
***
Leia hurried down the halls that lead to the bridge. The one great thing about being the daughter of someone high on the Imperial chain was being able to sit on the bridge and watch the commanders do drills and things. She hurried up the stairs. "Ah! Lady Vader." Admiral Smoot said coming over to her, "What a pleasure."
Leia shook his head, "Same here, Admiral." Leia lied. Survival rule number one was always be polite to high-ranking officials, even if you disliked them.
"Come have a seat." The Admiral said, leading her over to a chair.
Leia gave a brief nod, "Thank you." And she sat down in chair he had provided.
She listened as he droned on about how wonderful it was that she and her family were here and so on when she felt a tingling sensation down her neck. She shivered and automatically reached for her lightsaber. Her hand was just hovering above it when something clicked her brain, "Everybody down!" She screamed and she hit the deck.
Most of them were just staring at her like she was crazy but when a shower of shots erupted above her head; everyone else hit the deck, as well. She pulled her lightsaber free from its place on her hip and flicked it on. She peered around the corner of her shelter and saw three assassin droids firing their weapons. She glanced around and saw the Admiral's blaster still in his holster. "Baby." She murmured and yanked it free.
The Admiral didn't even budge as she grabbed his weapon. He just laid there with his hands over his head, whimpering. If the situation hadn't been life and death she would have started laughing. She extended her arm in front of her and spun around and fired three shots and the first droid. He went down with a clatter. Two other men had pulled out their own weapons and begun firing.
Leia dropped the blaster and jumped out from her hiding place and began deflecting blaster shots with her lightsaber. She hit every single one. Every one except the one that hit her.
She went down with a thud. "Oh my god. Lady Vader!" Smoot cried.
Leia groaned as the blackness over took her.
***
Vader tapped his hands impatiently on the armrest of his chair. Patience had never been a good quality of his, neither was mercy. "Dad?" Luke whispered.
Vader looked down at his eleven-year-old son, "Yeah son?"
"Leia's gonna be all right isn't she?"
Vader sucked in a breath. He sure hoped so, "Sure she is. Your sister is strong. Very strong."
But even Vader didn't believe himself. Leia was very strong, strong like her mother but Vader had no idea how his daughter would be.
"Lord Vader?" The doctor asked, coming out of the room.
Vader was up in a flash, "Yes? My daughter how is she?" Vader was terrified of the answer. The entire front of the doctor's uniform was covered in blood. Leia's blood.
The doctor led Vader away from Luke. "Your daughter has lost a lot of blood."
"But she's going to be okay, right?"
Ignoring his question the doctor continued, "The wound was very deep. We've managed to replace the amount of blood."
"The wound?" Vader asked, "She was only shot in the abdomen. That's fixable right?"
The doctor ignored him still and continued, "I'm assuming that on the way down she somehow cut herself with her lightsaber. Now, she only sliced her arm, she didn't take it fully off so we've managed to stitch it up. However, it will take a long time for it to heal."
"Long time? Like how long?"
"The nerves, muscles, and blood lines need to reconnect. I'd say a year at minimum."
"A year!?" Vader cried. He couldn't believe this.
"She also popped her knee cap out when she fell. Now we've managed to pop it back into place but she will have some trouble with this in the future."
Vader sighed, what a mess, "Can we go see her?"
The doctor nodded, "But only for a few minutes she still needs a lot of rest."
Vader's head bobbed, "Of course."
She was an eleven year old and with out a mother. No mother, no real family. Her father tried to be there for her and Luke, he really did but it was hard on him. It was hard on all of them. The media, despite her father being high up in the Empire, followed them around everywhere. Thankfully, for her family's sanity, the Empire knew nothing of their mother or where she was buried.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Her mother had been a great queen and a great senator in her time but her father had been a Jedi Knight and they had been forced to marry in secret. The only Jedi who knew of the marriage was his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Leia watched as her twin brother, Luke placed a ring of red flowers on their mother's head stone. Luke always brought her red flowers. Leia choked back the tears as their father placed a large arrange of many colored flowers from her home planet of Naboo in front of her headstone.
Leia had never been to Naboo and she really wanted to go. Really, really badly but it was too painful for her father. And they never went anywhere without their father.
Leia heard soft footsteps behind them and before she even turned around she knew it was Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan came to pay his respects every year, on this day, like they did. Leia turned around and hurried over to embrace the Jedi.
Leia liked Obi-Wan very much. When he pulled back he looked her over. "You get prettier every year." Leia could only smile. Obi-Wan kissed her forehead and held out a small box wrapped with ribbon, "Your mother bought this on our first trip to Corellia, right after you were born, and I think she would have wanted you to have this."
Leia opened the box slowly and lifted out a beautiful white pendant, "Oh, its beautiful." She hugged the Jedi Master again, "Thank you."
Leia stepped back and allowed Luke to have a few words with Obi-Wan. She hoped it would not turn out like it did the previous year. Last year, Luke punched Obi-Wan and blamed him for their mother's death. Obi-Wan produced a small box and handed it to Luke. Luke opened it and pulled out a circular object.
"Its so you can practice with your lightsaber," Obi-Wan informed Luke, "Its one of the newer models."
Luke pursed his lips, "Thank you." Leia knew the memories of last year were still weighing heavily on his mind. As well she thought that it should be.
Their father cleared his throat, "Ah children, could you please give us a minute?"
Leia and Luke both nodded, "Of course father." They walked away, and as every year dreaded what might become of Obi-Wan and their father's yearly argument.
***
But the children could not have been more wrong about this year. "Thank you," Anakin told Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan placed his ring of flowers, blue from Alderaan, on the headstone, "You're welcome, Anakin."
The other man pointed his finger in his old master's face, "I am no longer Anakin. I am Darth Vader now."
Obi-Wan nodded, "Just as much. Good-bye."
Their talk was brief. The briefest they'd ever had in the past nine years. Obi-Wan would return to seclusion and Anakin would return to Corscant with his kids.
It was a never-ending cycle.
***
Leia and Luke waited patiently in the speeder for their father. He would take them back to the ship and they would go to another military base. Like they did every year.
***
Leia couldn't have been more right. She and Luke sat listening to the droning of one of the Grand Admirals. She was tired and wanted to go home.
Home. Wherever that was. Typically Corscant but more and more these days it was their ship, Lady Princess. Leia had christened the ship for their mother two years ago after some Rebels blew their old ship, Dark Knight, out of the sky.
Luke was tapping his fingers on the armrest and Leia gently reached over with the force to make him stop. Father hated to be interrupted when he was in a meeting. Why her and Luke had to attend them she didn't know. Probably to keep up appearances. She was sick of keeping up appearances. She just wanted to lead a normal life for once. Normal. That was a thought. Her and Luke were not normal and they would never be normal.
She took in a deep breath and concentrated her energy somewhere else. Usually when they had to sit in boring meetings like this her and Luke would play head games using the force but Luke was distracted to today. Not that she could blame him. Luke couldn't remember their mother, unlike Leia.
It was odd and a bit hard to explain but Leia could remember their mother. They'd barely begun their lives when she'd been killed but yet Leia could remember her. She could remember Obi-Wan bouncing her and Luke on his lap, their mother playing with them, all sorts of memories. And it really bothered Luke that Leia could remember their mother and he couldn't.
"Well thank you for your time Lord Vader," The Grand Admiral said and gracefully bowed out.
Leia and Luke both stood at attention as he left. Luke let a deep sigh go, "I thought it was never going to end."
Vader laughed and hugged both his kids, "Oh kids I'm sorry you had to go through this today."
"Its okay, Daddy." Leia said before Luke could spit out some crude comment.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Of course." Leia said and then she elbowed Luke.
"Yeah. Its fine." Luke said.
"Good." He said and kissed both their foreheads, "I have a few more things to do before we leave. So you two can explore for a while if you'd like."
"YES!" The twins cried and hurried out of the room.
Vader watched them run out of the room with a heavy heart. He loved both his children more than anything in the galaxy but he felt so sad for both of them for having to live this life. Sometimes he wondered if maybe he shouldn't have given Obi-Wan the children. At least to protect them for the dangerous he subjected them to.
He shook his head and walked out of the room with a swish of his cloak.
***
Leia hurried down the halls that lead to the bridge. The one great thing about being the daughter of someone high on the Imperial chain was being able to sit on the bridge and watch the commanders do drills and things. She hurried up the stairs. "Ah! Lady Vader." Admiral Smoot said coming over to her, "What a pleasure."
Leia shook his head, "Same here, Admiral." Leia lied. Survival rule number one was always be polite to high-ranking officials, even if you disliked them.
"Come have a seat." The Admiral said, leading her over to a chair.
Leia gave a brief nod, "Thank you." And she sat down in chair he had provided.
She listened as he droned on about how wonderful it was that she and her family were here and so on when she felt a tingling sensation down her neck. She shivered and automatically reached for her lightsaber. Her hand was just hovering above it when something clicked her brain, "Everybody down!" She screamed and she hit the deck.
Most of them were just staring at her like she was crazy but when a shower of shots erupted above her head; everyone else hit the deck, as well. She pulled her lightsaber free from its place on her hip and flicked it on. She peered around the corner of her shelter and saw three assassin droids firing their weapons. She glanced around and saw the Admiral's blaster still in his holster. "Baby." She murmured and yanked it free.
The Admiral didn't even budge as she grabbed his weapon. He just laid there with his hands over his head, whimpering. If the situation hadn't been life and death she would have started laughing. She extended her arm in front of her and spun around and fired three shots and the first droid. He went down with a clatter. Two other men had pulled out their own weapons and begun firing.
Leia dropped the blaster and jumped out from her hiding place and began deflecting blaster shots with her lightsaber. She hit every single one. Every one except the one that hit her.
She went down with a thud. "Oh my god. Lady Vader!" Smoot cried.
Leia groaned as the blackness over took her.
***
Vader tapped his hands impatiently on the armrest of his chair. Patience had never been a good quality of his, neither was mercy. "Dad?" Luke whispered.
Vader looked down at his eleven-year-old son, "Yeah son?"
"Leia's gonna be all right isn't she?"
Vader sucked in a breath. He sure hoped so, "Sure she is. Your sister is strong. Very strong."
But even Vader didn't believe himself. Leia was very strong, strong like her mother but Vader had no idea how his daughter would be.
"Lord Vader?" The doctor asked, coming out of the room.
Vader was up in a flash, "Yes? My daughter how is she?" Vader was terrified of the answer. The entire front of the doctor's uniform was covered in blood. Leia's blood.
The doctor led Vader away from Luke. "Your daughter has lost a lot of blood."
"But she's going to be okay, right?"
Ignoring his question the doctor continued, "The wound was very deep. We've managed to replace the amount of blood."
"The wound?" Vader asked, "She was only shot in the abdomen. That's fixable right?"
The doctor ignored him still and continued, "I'm assuming that on the way down she somehow cut herself with her lightsaber. Now, she only sliced her arm, she didn't take it fully off so we've managed to stitch it up. However, it will take a long time for it to heal."
"Long time? Like how long?"
"The nerves, muscles, and blood lines need to reconnect. I'd say a year at minimum."
"A year!?" Vader cried. He couldn't believe this.
"She also popped her knee cap out when she fell. Now we've managed to pop it back into place but she will have some trouble with this in the future."
Vader sighed, what a mess, "Can we go see her?"
The doctor nodded, "But only for a few minutes she still needs a lot of rest."
Vader's head bobbed, "Of course."