[16 yrs. A.B.Y.]

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Leia hugged her brother firmly, and then pulled away to hold him at arms length. She inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp forest air, still saturated with morning dew. "You never really appreciate this smell until you've lived on Coruscant," she said, "everything there is tainted with smog."

"Yes, but on Coruscant you don't have as many problems with bugs," Luke replied, swatting at a fly as it buzzed around the two. He moved to his sister's side as they strode away from her transport and along one of the outer terraces of the Jedi Academy.

Leia took in the sights around her as they walked, hoping to forget her purpose here - to lose it in the trees somewhere.

"Anakin doesn't have to be back at the Academy for another few weeks, Leia," Luke said as they slowed to a stop and faced each other a little. "You don't think he'll get the idea?"

"He doesn't need to know, Luke. It wouldn't be good for him," Leia said in an attempt to close the subject.

"He's old enough to understand what the assassination attempts mean to his family. He should be told that his father might be in danger," Luke said, trying to persuade his sister though he thought the battle futile.

"Are you going to tell me how to raise my son?" Leia asked, her tone almost denoting anger.

"I'm sorry," Luke said, placing his hand on Leia's arm. He let out his frustration with a breath. "I'll try and stick to the realm of Jedi Master."

They both laughed a little. Luke had gone through many a romance in his time, but never had anything lead to children. As much as he'd like to, Luke wasn't a parent, and Leia preferred it when he wouldn't tell her how to raise her child.

"I didn't just come here to bring Anakin," Leia admitted after a moment.

"I know," Luke replied, "This time the attack wasn't so subtle."

"It's getting so ridiculous," Leia said, her irritation with the matter showing through her words. "They want to take his life and mine for no other reason but politics," she sighed. "It doesn't matter where I go; I can't get away from this mess." She put her hand on her forehead for a moment, hoping to rub away the stress.

Long ago she had thought it might be easier to run a monarchy– no senators vying for power, no bureaucrats buying votes– but it was all the same. In the end, Hapes had as much corruption as any culture, with its backdoor deals and alliances. She'd become the queen of a pretentious, power hungry people, and it was draining in the very least.

"This proposal is just another thing the Hapans are divided over," Leia continued. "Some want the protection, and others don't want the threat. And there are those who'll kill to get a message across," she laughed lightly for a moment. "Killing to eliminate the threat of violence. It's almost ironic."

"You need my help?" Luke asked.

"Yes. Well, one of your Jedi," Leia replied. "Isolder has faith in our forces as I do, but we both know that we can't protect him and search for the assassin all at once. They'll be a slip, someone will take the opportunity, and that'll be one more person I bury in my life."

Luke nodded, remaining silent for a moment, as though pondering something she did not catch. "You don't love him."

Leia paused. In her eight years of her marriage, her brother had never mentioned anything like this. She knew all to well that it was obvious to him, but for some reason he's remained silent, knowing how Leia herself didn't say it aloud. She'd always taken her relationship with Isolder in stride, and it was strange to have someone point out the fault in it.

"That's not true," she lied

"Okay," Luke said in mock agreement. "I apologize."

Leia turned away, leaning her weight on the railing of the terrace. "I'm still mad at you for the other night," she said, changing the subject. "You didn't have to invite him."

"I don't have the right to invite my friend to dinner?" Luke asked in defense.

"Maybe if he'd been a mutual friend," she said, her tone speaking volumes of the time passed since she'd been able to claim Han Solo as a friend.

"He was once," Luke countered. "Besides, you two have to work together, I was hoping to break the ice in familiar company."

"Working with Han isn't going to be easy, Luke," Leia said as she turned back to look at him, "but I can at least take heart in the fact that I don't have to spend too much time him. You're just making that time longer by bringing us together."

"I'm sorry," Luke conceded. "I didn't know that it had gotten this bad between you two."

"It's been bad for a long time, Luke, and we've accepted it," Leia sighed. "We're not going to save the galaxy together anymore. No more adventures, no more thrills. This is how it is."

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