Leia'd had to pull Father (Mother had helped) all the way to the park, but now that they were there, there seemed to be no getting him to leave.

If you push this thruster forward, he was telling her, and she nodded, then your speeder will go straight up in the air.

Mother frowned at Father from the scraggly tree she was leaning against. Ani, that doesn't sound very safe.

Leia had to suppress a grin. Personally, she didn't think anything involving her father was very safe.

Leia has control, Father said, straightening to look at Mother. There is little danger...

Mother said warningly, and Father bowed his head, then turned back to Leia and the speeder. Leia had a feeling he hadn't heard anything Mother had said.

I see, she told him with a smirk. But why would you want to do that?

It can help distract your opponent, he said, moving to the other side of the speeder. Leia followed him curiously. They do not know where you have gone, so you can come in over their heads and take the lead.

She giggled. Father, isn't that cheating?

he replied calmly, fiddling with a rubber covered lever on the speeder's lower side. He scooted over slightly, so she could see what he was doing. Do you see this? he asked. Leia nodded. This controls your speed. If you move it over --

Mother said for the second time, and she left her perch by the tree to stand imposingly in front of them. You will not modify the speed controls on Leia's bike.

Between Mother -- pale, but undeniably regal, clad in full, intricate attire that covered her from the bottom of her chin to her feet -- and Father, masked, armor-clad, and caped entirely in black, Leia couldn't quite tell which of them held the most say. Both were, in their own ways, equally effective at getting what they wanted. Leia thought that most would say Father was the stronger of the two, but personally, she suspected that her mother had more of a say on things than her father did. Father usually bent to Mother's will -- eventually.

Yes, Amidala, Father said. Leia rolled her eyes at the predictability of her parents' conversation.

If anything happens to our daughter --

I am aware, Amidala --

You'd better be, Mother scowled, drawing herself up and back to the edge of the tree. Her face was very stern and serious. Just as Father was about to turn back to the speeder, however, she smiled; suddenly and unexpectedly, with a carefree look on her face that Leia had seen too few times in her life -- then sat down in an enormous puff-cloud of her own skirts and ribbons. Father looked at her for a long time -- wistfully, Leia thought -- before turning back to Leia and her speeder.

Should you ever be interested in modifying your speed when you are older, we will rediscuss the purpose of this lever, he said carefully. However, as you should not try such things at this stage -- Mother cleared her throat loudly -- we will simply look at trying to make your flight smoother. Adjustment of this gear here would do exactly that.

Leia frowned at the highlighted gear. Why doesn't it come already smoothed out? she asked, aware she was using the wrong lingo, and that Father would make her pay for it. I mean, why do we have to change it ourselves?

Because anything otherwise would raise the cost of the bike, Father explained. And the gear itself is not smoothed , Leia -- we adjust the positioning of the gear to make your flight smoother.

she said, staring at the gear. I think I get it.

Why don't you just have her race, Ani? Mother asked from her tree. I think you've done enough adjustments for today.

Father, apparently, had not thought about this. He turned to Leia almost apologetically.

Would you like to fly now, Leia? he asked. I am sorry for distracting you.

It's alright, she mumbled, embarrassed that Father was embarrassed. They rarely spent time together as it was...

Mother rose and began to brush leaves off of her dress. It was plainer than what she normally wore -- the skirt was cut exclusively from one fabric, and its only decorative touches came from side ribs and a thick sash around the waist -- yet it fit her established wardrobe, as no skin was revealed except at her hands and face, and the colors were dull and dark. Leia thought Mother's choice of clothes overcompensation, if an effective one -- Mother, to all that met her, was just as aloof and untouchable as her husband. At least, Leia thought, to everyone but Mirhsar Zedlav.

There's always an exception, she reminded herself. And Zedlav is gone.

Father make his way to Mother's side, and motioned for Leia to get onto her bike. We will watch you, he said. It seems few others are here for you to race against, but perhaps you can try and improve your timing.

You'll count for me? she asked hopefully. Father nodded.

Your helmet, Leia, Mother warned. Leia took it from Mother's hand obediently, noting that Father was looking at his feet . She suspected he wouldn't have minded if she'd gone without it. She held back an impish smile at his behavior -- Leia knew much better than he did how futile it was to contradict Mother -- and dutifully fastened the helmet over her head and chin.

Are you ready? asked Father. She nodded. Very well, I will count for you. . . three. . . two. . . one. . .go!

The bike took off in a burst of thrilling speed, and Leia felt herself smiling broadly as the cold wind began to whip past her face. She raised her body out of the seat -- only slightly, as she wasn't certain whether Mother would be able to see -- and pushed the thrusters forward, until she was going fast enough that she could barely make out the large edge blocks of the force field surrounding the park.

You can take it faster, if you wish.

Father's voice broke into her mind, urging her on, and she almost crashed into a picnicking family ahead of her in her surprise. Father rarely used his special powers to contact her -- and she rarely let him in.

You scared me, she reprimanded, righting herself and pulling the bike higher into the air. It soared delightfully, and she was soon high above the short treetops, shaving dry leaflets onto the ground. She could see a depression in the approaching ground below, and had the sudden urge to dip and dive toward it. She reached for a lever...

The yellow lever, Father reminded. You were going to use the orange one.

That would have been disastrous, she shot in reply, grinning in spite of herself. The speeder was responding more smoothly than it ever had before -- she was certain Father had done something to it beyond the adjustments he had shown her today -- but she was pleased by it, and with her improving control. She pushed the lever -- Yellow, she noted -- and accelerated into the plummeting free-fall, jerking the bike level as she neared ground. The speeder zoomed forward in a surge of thudding energy and power, going faster than it had been all afternoon.

Your mother wants you to come back. She did not like this last dive.

I'm coming, Leia thought distractedly, pulling a wide arc to turn back to her parents. She'd come out further than she'd realized, and would have some ways to go to get back to them, but that also meant she'd have more time to fly. She tossed her head, feeling the weight of her braid as it snapped in the wind, and pushed into the thrusters with a tight smile. She was racing herself -- Father had said something along those lines -- so she'd need to beat her old times. That was all very well. She had the control now, and the speed.

It was all so smooth...
.
Leia! Leia, slow down!

It was Mother, running toward her in the wind. Leia blinked. She hadn't been going that fast, had she? Her parents had been so far away before...

She cut power quickly, and let the bike come to a shuddering halt.

Mother was immediately at her side, pulling her off of the seat. Leia, how could you, you frightened me so --

It was just a dive, Mother, she protested, her voice muffled in Mother's arms and the recesses of her helmet. I had complete control --

I don't care what control you think you had, you shouldn't have done that...you're as bad as your Father...

She heard Father's forced breathing join in rhythm with her mother's sniffling, and nearly scowled. Father would only agree with Mother; that she knew from experience. She turned her head to sneak a look at him anyway. You were going very fast, he told her. She narrowed her eyes. He stood back, glanced at Mother, then back at Leia. It was impressive...



...if dangerous...

Leia groaned in her Mother's arms, and slammed a light fist against her ribs.

Some things never changed.

***
tbc