Chapter One
By: Linauri

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"Yes. It did. When the Emperor was alive," Leia whispered fearfully.
Jaina gave herself a mental shake and dropped her arms. This was ridiculous.
"OK, so we're in some Emperor Palpatine fan club or something. I mean, you said it yourself. The guy's dead. Grandpa killed him before I was even born, remember? Mom?"
Leia didn't seem to hear her as she took in their surroundings. Nothing had changed. It was just as she remembered it. But that didn't make sense. Had they stepped into the past? Would she find her younger self suddenly walking around that far corner to confront them? She was suddenly shaken from her musings by her daughter.
"Mom, snap out of it. Wherever we are, we've got to figure out what's going on and how to get home."
"You're right. I'm sorry. It's just, the memories..." Jaina's eyes softened as she watched her mother relive a painful past. While not so terrifying as the Vong, it had been no less dangerous in its own way.
"Come on. Let's try to fix our coordinates here and figure out what happened." With that the two women made their way carefully down the corridor, ever watchful for danger.

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"Damn it all Wedge! Where are they?"
"I don't know Han. And please, stop yelling in my ear." Wedge ground out. He knew Han was scared of loosing the rest of his family, but it wasn't helping his concentration any.
"Perhaps you should get some rest Han?" came Kyp's weary voice. He knew the older man would refuse, just as he had the past 15 times he had suggested it throughout the night, but at least it kept him from badgering the crew for a moment. The young Jedi master had been up all night, working alongside Wedge's scanning crew, both to find out what he could with his own type of scans as well as to keep Han out of their way. Suddenly help came from an unexpected quarter when a comlink beeped. Frowning, Han picked up the small device and switched it on.
"What?" he barked.
"Good morning to you too, Han." was Mara's reply. One could almost hear her smirking as Han's brow smoothed a bit.
"Sorry, Mara. What's up?"
"Luke and I were wondering if you could watch Ben for a couple of hours. We've been asked to help out on the south docks, and we can't seem to find anyone else willing to watch him." Now it was Han's turn to smirk.
"Now that's strange. Being the little *ahem* angel that he is and all." Kyp and Wedge both snickered in the background at the comment.
"Watch it Solo. Can you watch him or not?" she growled, her anger sounding genuine to those who didn't know her.
"Yeah. Sure. I'll be there in a few minutes." Han looked back at the scanning team and sighed, switching the comlink off again. "I'll see you guys later. Call me the minute you find anything. Got it?" There was a chorus of nods as Wedge came over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll find them, Han. I promise." The former general of the Rebellion and New Republic nodded and turned to go. Suddenly he felt every minute of his age.

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Suppressing a yawn, Jaina turned to her mother.
"What do you suppose brought us here? Wherever here is?"
"I don't know, Jaina. But the longer we're here, the more I'm reminded of the old Imperial Palace. And not just the way it looks. It feels the same, too. It has that same cold, dark feeling that I used to feel when I was a senator. Except stronger somehow." Leia's eyes darted around the corridor as she spoke, as though expecting something sinister to pop out at them at any moment.
"It could be because you've actually honed some of your Jedi powers since you were my age." Leia shrugged.
"Whatever the reason, I don't like what I'm feeling here." She rubbed her arms, the cold seeming to seep into her very bones. She suddenly wished Han were here.
"Ambassador Organa! What are you doing here?" Both women whirled around at the voice.
"Han!"
Leia smiled in relief, and would have run to him, were it not for her daughter's restraining hand on her arm. She frowned at her daughter and opened her mouth to demand she let go, but found Jaina wasn't even looking at her. Instead she was staring at Han, a thoughtful, and somewhat disappointed frown marring her own features as she looked the man over.
"What do you mean, what is she doing here, General? She lives here, doesn't she?"
The man seemed taken aback for a moment before glaring at her and drawing his blaster. Something wasn't right. Pointing the weapon straight at her, he took a step forward.
"Who are you lady, and what are you doing with the ambassador? You have five seconds to let her go, or I shoot. And don't even think of using her as a shield. I'm the best shot in the military."
Jaina had the strangest sensation of not belonging. Her father would never point a blaster at her. The same thought seemed to occur to Leia, as she gasped, backing up to stand beside her daughter. Letting her mother go, Jaina stepped forward, holding her hands up to show she meant no harm.
"My name is Jaina," she held back on her last name. Something told her it wouldn't be a good idea to tell this man she was a Solo at the moment. "The, ambassador has just been showing me around the palace."
The man frowned and turned to Leia, blinking in confusion for a moment when he saw the way she was staring at him. She looked like a little girl who had just been told Christmas wasn't coming.
"Ambassador Organa, is this true?"
Leia started at the name Organa. That wasn't her name. There was more to it. And her husband knew it. This wasn't her Han. Something was terribly wrong here. She forced herself to process his question and nod.
"Yes, it is. I was just showing my, uh, cousin, around the palace." she offered faintly.
The man watched her for a moment before turning to Jaina and looking her over. Noting the strong resemblance between the two women, he decided she was telling the truth. What unsettled him was that she seemed to have his own mother's eyes. Shaking the ridiculous thought form his head, he nodded to them both.
"Very well. But that still doesn't explain what you're doing back on Imperial Center, Ambassador. I thought the Emperor had sent you with your father to negotiate the surrender of Alderaan?"
Leia nearly fainted, both chilled and warmed by his words. Chilled to the bone to think Palpatine was alive here and warmed to her core to know that Alderaan was no longer a string of asteroids circling a once proud system. Taking Jaina's hand for support, she asked the question that his words had generated.
"My father is surrendering Alderaan to the Emperor?"
The man grew concerned and came closer.
"Ambassador, are you all right? Perhaps I should call for your brother. He was due to arrive this morning, but I'm sure the Emperor could spare him to see to look after you."
Leia felt herself nodding before his words fully registered. What did he mean the Emperor could spare him? What was going on?
"That won't be necessary General, I can take care of my cousin. She's just suffering from a bad headache and needs to lie down." Jaina interjected. The man frowned.
"I'm afraid I must insist. You have not been cleared through security young lady. Besides, I'm sure Lord Skywalker will want to see his cousin as well."
Sensing triumph, he began to speak softly into his comlink, causing both women to panic. Lord Skywalker? The imperials only spoke of one lord and that was Vader. Suddenly Luke was the last person either of them wanted to see. But it was too late. Even as General Han finished speaking into his comlink, a man in the blackest Jedi robes came walking around the corner, a sinister smile twisting what had been, to them, such boyish features, even in recent years.
"Leia. This soldier tells me you never left for your mission with Father. And something about a cousin?" Jaina shivered as his gaze swept over her, pausing to gaze into her eyes. She met his gaze, reinforcing her mental shields as she felt his probe. He smirked and left her mind.
"Well, at least she's had some training. And she appears to be in good shape. Carries herself well." He nodded, as though coming to a conclusion. "The Emperor will be pleased. He needs a new Hand to replace that stupid redhead. She botched her latest mission and I had to kill her. Serves the bitch right. Never did like her." Jaina bit her lip to keep from crying out. He just couldn't mean the same person. He couldn't have killed her.
"Leia, are you all right? You look pale. Surely you don't feel sorry for the little cunt? I know you were fond of her in your own way, but you knew Jade wouldn't last long in the Emperor's service. Not so long as she was on Father's bad side." Jaina was suddenly glad that General Han had moved closer, because she was too shocked by her 'uncles' news to catch her mother as she fainted.