Eleven-year-old Leia.
Knowing
The gardens were particularly pretty today, but neither of the two who walked in them noticed. There were others about who enjoyed the walks, but none had approached them just yet. Father and daughter were deep in conversation on heavy matters and no one felt it was their right to interrupt.
"But Daddy, I don't understand. If she hadn't called for the vote of no-confidence in Valorum, then Palpatine wouldn't be Emperor. How can she be good?" There was no accusation in the girl's tone. Not this time.
Her father sighed tiredly. "Palpatine's a powerful man, Leia, and ambitious. If that vote hadn't been called then I'm sure he would have found a way. You cannot blame Amidala for what she did. He used her youth and inexperience, her idealism, to reach the end he wanted. She had no way of knowing what Palpatine planned. Technically, if you ignore what happened during and after the Clone Wars, the decision was the right one. Besides, it saved her people."
She scowled. She was still young enough that good and evil seemed relatively black and white. "But didn't you say that the Trade Federation was working with Palpatine, anyway?"
"Suspected to be working with Palpatine, Leia. There never was any proof. He certainly has always denounced them. And no one had any idea of it then."
"So she was just stupid."
"No," he said firmly, and the rebuke was harsh enough that she looked down in shame. Two days ago she had criticised Amidala, said she was evil for what she did, and her father become very angry. Why, she didn't know. She would have thought he'd hate anyone who helped Palpatine as much as she did.
When she had said that, he'd sent her to her room. Later, after she was done crying, he'd come and sat on the edge of her bed. He'd stroked her hair and told her he was sorry for getting angry, but she had to understand that things had been very different back then.
She must never ever hate anyone, either.
"Not even Palpatine?"
"Not even him. No one has more power over you than the one you hate."
"Amidala was one of the most honourable and intelligent beings I've ever had the opportunity to meet," he said now.
"You knew her?" The young princess was shocked.
"I did."
"What happened to her?" No one had ever told Leia where Amidala had gone after the Emperor had taken over. She'd quit the Senate and disappeared. For some reason Leia really, really wanted to know what happened to her. She really wanted to know. Really.
"I think she found it hard to think that the state of the galaxy was her fault, and she went to hide somewhere, far away."
"Oh." It was sad to think of her like that. Maybe it was her fault, but Leia didn't like to think that she had to be alone because of it. Sometimes Leia felt alone – especially when her father wasn't on Alderaan and she couldn't talk to him – she didn't want anyone else to feel like that.
Except Palpatine, and her father said she wasn't allowed to think that. Even if he deserved it.
Up ahead one of Leia's friends spotted her and called out. She looked up at her father for permission and he nodded slightly. She ran off, ducking under a nearby tree branch.
***
Bail Organa dropped into a nearby seat and tried to banish two sets of intense, passionate eyes – one pair curious, the other pained – from his mind.
Leia had zeroed in on Amidala with a single-mindedness that was almost frightening. She'd condemned the former Senator out of hand, but then proceeded to gather as much information as she could. Surprisingly little existed though, and so Leia now fished for background on the Republic Senator from Bail, or anyone else who was willing to give it to her.
He worried about it. Leia had taken a shine to politics from a young age and was quick and willing to learn, but never before had she shown anything like this voracity. Part of him wanted to contact Kenobi, on Tatooine and ask him, despite the danger. Perhaps it was one of those Jedi things he was supposed to look out for.
Scouting out information on Padmé Amidala was one thing. There was nothing to link the young girl to her biological mother – the more the pity, if it hadn't been for the danger. He was terrified that if it were Jedi thing it would inevitably extent to the one place no one could afford it to. Her biological father. Anakin Skywalker.
She had no reason to look for the name of one Jedi amongst the thousands who had died during the Clone Wars. What if, however, she caught sight of his name randomly – he had been something of a hero – and began to wonder about him. Could she survive what would happen should such an interest come to the attention of someone who mattered?
The love he held for her surprised him constantly. She was the most wonderful thing in his life. He couldn't bear to think of losing her. Most days it was a struggle to think that this child – this beautiful, perfect being – had originated from one of the most terrible men that existed.
Yet, she had. And in some ways it gave him hope. If such evil was capable of creating such good, perhaps there was something more to Vader than met the eye.
Of course, it was not a theory he was in any hurry to test. Darth Vader had the power to destroy Leia with the slightest thought, should it please him. Bail Organa could not allow that to happen, not to Padmé's daughter. Not even to Anakin's daughter.
He was jarred from his thoughts as Leia raced up again looking at him with big imploring eyes. She wanted to go to a picnic by a nearby lake with some of her friends. There would be adult supervision and they'd be home before dark, and she promised she'd do everything she was told and be careful. Could she please, please go? Please, Daddy. Winning smile, playing on a childlikeness to get him to give into her request.
She could never guess how infinitely relieved her father was that she was distracted from her quest for information on Senator Amidala. He gave her his permission willingly, and she danced off to change her clothes and find a bathing suit.
He had no doubt that by tomorrow her desire to find out more about the beautiful Queen turned Senator would resurface and he'd have to field yet more questions. For now though, she was a young girl who wanted to go swimming and giggle with her friends. Such events were rare enough – she didn't need any seriousness, not today.
Tomorrow perhaps he'd find some obscure Alderaanian law that would interest her. Or mention some social injustice that would take up her time. Sadly, sometimes this was all he had to offer her.
*****
A/N: Again, honest reviews are appreciated. I promise I'm big enough to handle anything you can throw at me. Especially if it's edible (and chocolate).