A Mother's Legacy

By K. Harman

Author's Note: Please keep in mind that this particular fan fiction was written between the Phantom Menace and the Attack of the Clones, It has been updated in an attempt to keep in line with any information revealed in Attack of the Clones. Please also be considerate, as I has only 11 when I wrote it. It has not been beta read, so I must also take the blame for any errors.

Disclaimer: Standard. I don not own any of the characters or worlds I portray, with the exception of my own additions – Tiana and any of the handmaidens.

Luke was searching though Obi-wan Kenobi's data tapes. Suddenly a name caught his eye, as it rolled up the screen. Anakin. His father's name. It was a private data tape – intended to carry documents that were far too personal to be sent over the communication lines, which despite being made more secure were prone to hackers. The text read:

Anakin Skywalker

Care of Theed Palace, Naboo

Anakin, you know that I cannot approve of your marriage, evn if it is to your beautiful "Ami". Despite the fact I know she is smart, courageous and beautiful, and that you are both in love, I cannot accept this as you swore your life to the Jedi. You took the vow not to possess anything, or to value one life over another. Your marriage has broken your vow to the Order, Anakin. My vow to the Order alone holds me back from accepting you and your new wife. I will pray that you and she live under much happiness and that you both shall be blessed in whatever choices you make.

Obi-Wan.

Luke wasn't sure what this place would have to do with his father. But he was going to find out, starting by locating an old enough map that might tell him where Naboo is.

Minister Padmé Amidala looked out the window at the beautiful city of Theed. She sighed. The Naboo just wasn't the same any more. But the people loved it. Her lovely planet had broken off all outside connections. Ever since Anakin had come back pretending to have returned to the good side, really only wanting a child, nothing had been the same. When she was pregnant the entire planet pretended she had died and in their grief cut off all connections to the rest of the universe. Then Tiana was born. When Tiana was three her old friend Obi-wan had come to ask to train Tiana in the ways of the Jedi.

"You won't take her away will you?" Padmé had asked.

"It will be safer here." the Jedi Knight replied. "I will train your son when I go back to Tatoonine." That made her think of something else. Padmé remembered it all so clearly. The fleet was not a big one, and had been created by her during her eight-year reign. The Marla was her flagship, named after a long ago queen. She had named all the other ships herself. There was the Amidala, the Tiana, the Organa, the Qui-Gon, the Padmé and the Skywalker. The rebels had been so surprised!

Just then Tiana bustled in, interrupting her mother's thoughts. She whispered to her mother "Queen Estanzia wishes to see you." Padmé sighed. Everything was so tiring these days.

Luke readied his small X-wing for his flight to the Naboo. Whatever and where ever it was. Behind him Jabba's once almighty palace was crumbling. Jawas had raided the whole place, stripping it of anything of value, and it was now filled with scavenging animals. Turning his back on the awful place, he continued to prepare his X-wing fighter.

Finally he was ready to go.

"All set, Artoo?" He said softly to the little droid in the back. Artoo beeped.

"Let's go then, and find out what this place was, or is." Luke told the droid. And who is Ami? Luke thought to himself. He climbed into the X-wing and took off. As the X-wing picked up speed, Luke took it into hyperdrive and it shot out into hyperspace.

A short while later, Luke dropped out of hyperspace. He found a small sun, with a little planet orbiting in. The Naboo, he thought. It was a beautiful blue and green planet, with large areas of jungle-like swamp, farmland and oceans. On the south side, he could see a large city, the only one, different from all the towns. Luke flew the X-wing towards it. It could only be Theed. The note said Anakin had been living in Theed. He was going there to find some answers.

"Your Majesty, Milady!" cried one of the technicians, running to Padmé and her companion. The young queen stopped what she was saying to her chief minister and looked up.

He stopped to bow before saying rapidly "Our scanners have picked up a small X-wing fighter, entering the system. What shall we do about it?"

"It looks like we have been discovered," said Padmé, calmly. "Where is it heading?"

"Towards here, milady, towards Theed."

"Make contact with it and direct it to Palace landing bay. We will deal with it, personally." Queen Estanzia put in.

"Yes, your majesty, milady." The technician left with a bow to his sovereign and the minister.

"Mother, is this safe?" Tiana said, cautiously from behind Padmé. "Is it wise to risk yourself and her majesty on something like this? It could be dangerous."

"Sometimes, my dear, you just have to take chances."

Padmé turned to Captain Typho, and to the older of her two handmaidens, Ivalla.

"Captain Typho, I will need a squad of men to cover us. Hold the pilot in his shuttle until we come. Your majesty, shall we get changed before we meet this intruder?"

The younger women nodded, in agreement. "Something easier to move in. The black beaded dress perhaps?" she said, addressing her chief handmaiden, Senné, not Padmé, who smiled.

"I will have all of you present and armed." The queen finished, before wheeling around to face Padmé and Tiana. Looking behind them, she commanded "Tamar, take Representative Tiana back to your chambers. We won't worry with guards there at the moment, but make sure you are ready to fight or evacuate at a second's notice. He may be only one, but he could be dangerous. Or he could be the first of many to come. So stay alert."

By the time Padmé registered all that had just happened, everyone was walking away, except her other handmaiden, Karté.

"Come, Padmé. Let's get going."

The older woman smiled. "What am I going to wear?"

Karté shrugged. "Ivalla will find something."

Padmé allowed her handmaidens to be informal with her. They were her best friends. When they got back to the room, they found Ivalla laying out a beautiful white embroidered kimono, and matching headdress.

Padmé frowned. "Isn't there a simpler headdress?" The one lying next to the dress was very elaborate, a fan with dangling pearl strings. Ivalla smiled and pulled out a large hair comb with a wedge shape piece of starched white material and silver ribbons attached to it.

"That's much better," said Padmé.

On the other side of the room, Karté had started shaking out the two of the formal handmaidens blue dresses and matching maroon shawls.

When she caught Padm's eye, she made a face. "I know there not your favourite, Padmé, but her majesty's handmaidens, dratted Illyan and Senné said they were going to wear the maroon velvet cloaks and I want to be different."

Padmé snorted and turned away. She knew about the rivalry between her handmaidens and Estanzia's. Padmé had spent almost her entirely life being attended by handmaidens, first as queen and then as senator. She knew how the prestige associated with the position changed and the dangers and fun of it. She'd even hidden herself as one of her own handmaidens at times. Besides, the yellow they were wearing now to match her red dress would not match the white. "Help me get this thing on, Ivalla," she said.

As Luke neared the city, a voice crackled over his commlink. "X-wing, you are nearing Theed. Please follow our directions as to where to land. You will be received peacefully, but if you chose to attack, we will retaliate and capture you."

Luke decided it would be best to act peacefully. He leaned forward to speak into the commlink. "Please give further instructions on where to land."

"Approach the city from the north-east. You will fly over a river. Just near the river is the Palace craft hanger. Please enter there." The commlink beeped as the transmission was cut off. Luke swung his fighter round so he could approach the city from the direction the voice had stated. He saw the river the person has talking about, but no hanger. Maybe he had been tricked. But wait. No, it was there, built into the side of a mountain. Just beyond was the rest of the Palace. Could his father have truly lived around here? He shook his head to concentrate. As he entered the hanger, he noticed there were several large ships there. This place was much larger than it looked from the outside. These ships were big, bigger than the Millennium Falcon. Battle ships, in fact. The next thing he noticed was that nearly forty men had their guns trained on him.

Again the voice came through the commlink. "Fighter, stay in your craft. An ambassador will come for you. If you try to exit your craft before we are ready you will be shot on site."

Luke turned around to talk to Artoo, in the back. "Now was that a bad trip, Artoo?"

The droid whistled. Luke wasn't sure whether that meant yes or no.

Then the voice came over the commlink "Pilot. You may exit your air craft slowly and quietly."

"How nice." Luke muttered sarcastically.

Padmé stood beside Queen Estanzia, by the door of the hanger. She watched silently as the pilot - a young man, got out. As he turned, Padmé gasped. She knew exactly who this boy was. He was Anakin's son!

As Luke turned, he heard a woman gasp. He turned to see a party of what were obviously dignitaries enter. At the head of the group was a young woman in a very ornate gown, surrounded by 5 attendants. Atop her golden hair was a large headdress, resembling a crown. Luke easily guessed she was the ruler of the planet. His focus did not remain on her long though. His eyes were drawn to the rear of the party, where an elegant looking woman, dressed in similar fashion to the queen, if not quite as grand, in a white dress. She looked about fifty and was flanked by two handmaidens. She had her hand over her mouth and her eyes were wide. It was she who had gasped. The man standing next to her stepped forward. "Welcome to the Naboo." He said. "Will you please introduce yourself to her majesty and the minister?"

Luke was just about to open his mouth when the woman in white said softly "His name is Luke Skywalker, Jedi knight and member of the Rebel Alliance, now the New Republic." A gasp went through all assembled there. The woman continued, "It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Luke. I am Padmé Amidala, State Minister of the Naboo. Welcome to our world." Amidala. It rang a bell in Luke's head. The note. Luke unfolded it gently. Ami. Amidala. Anakin and Amidala. Of course. It all made sense now. "Come and talk to me, Luke. I think we have a lot to discuss."

Luke was led to down a long corridor into the beautiful palace and through to a small conference room. The minister and a handmaiden sat down at one couch and Luke sat on another. To the handmaidens standing by the door, she said, "Go and fetch Tiana and Tamar." The woman disappeared.

Then she turned to Luke "So tell me, Luke. What brings you here?"

"You're my mother," he said, quietly.

The woman smiled. "That I am. I am still surprised you found me, which brings me to my first question. Why are you here?"

"I wanted to find out anything about Father's past life. I was searching through Ben's old tapes trying to find something."

"Ben…"

"My father's master. I think his real name was Obi-wan."

"Obi-wan Kenobi. Oh yes, he was one of my best friends and your father's."

"He is dead now."

"I know."

"Really… But I thought you were…"

"We are not totally in isolation, Luke. I will show you something." She led him back to the main hanger. "Look at the names of the ships."

Luke stared about, intrigued. "The Padmé… The Amidala, The Tiana, The Qui-gon, The… The Organa and the Skywalker."

"You will not understand them all. I named them myself. The first two are rather obvious. I didn't name those two, actually. They were re-named on the end of my term. I had called them… Oh, I have forgotten."

"What about the Tiana?"

His mother smiled secretively. "You will meet Tiana soon. I hope that you will get along."

"The Qui-gon?"

"This one has quite a story behind it. Qui-gon was Obi-wan's teacher and master. During the first year of my reign, there was a blockade of the planet. Obi-wan and Qui-gon were sent as ambassadors to negotiate. I launched a campaign to try a free the planet. Qui-gon was killed when our group was attacked by a Sith. The Sith blocked our way, so Qui-gon and Obi-wan moved to fight him, while our party took the long route. The Jedi battled him until they were separated. While Qui-gon battled the Sith, Obi-wan was forced to watch from the radioactive field he was trapped behind, while his teacher was cut down. The evil one then waited to finish off Obi-wan, but unfortunately for the Sith, Obi-wan's lightsabre found a way to dismantle his body parts. It was Qui-gon's dying wish that Annie… your father should be trained."

Luke looked thoughtful.

"And of course you understand the next two. I have never stopped watching you two. I have gathered news from everywhere. When I first heard that you had both joined the Rebel Alliance I was overjoyed. It's strange. I used to trust in that system, in the Republic and it failed us. It failed…" She smiled absently and looked at her son. "Listen to me chattering about politics. You probably have absolutely no mind for politics."

She smiled again when Luke nodded. "Your father was the same. You even look just like your father did when he was your age." She tilted her head and smiled sadly. "Although your hair is a little darker, more like mine." The woman stopped and took a deep breath. "I should show you a picture of him. I don't want you to live the rest of your life thinking of that… black thing as your father."

They started walking slowly back into the palace. Artoo beeped as he began to follow Luke, breaking the silence. Padmé stopped in her tracks. She whirled around and looked at the little droid, narrowing her eyes, as if trying to remember something. Then she began to smile.

"Artoo?" she whispered. " Artoo-Deetoo? Come here, you silly hunk of metal." Artoo sailed past Luke, stopping in front of her. She sighed, putting a hand on his domed head. "It has been a long time, little one."

Luke looked at her open-mouthed. "You know Artoo?" he asked, forgetting all shyness.

"Of course! He used to belong to me. He was on my royal starship when I was queen, and he served me so well, they gave him to me when I became senator… We went through a lot together. The whole Clone War." She shook her head as if trying to forget something, before continuing. "When I gave Leia to Bail to be raised in safety, I left Artoo with him – and Annie's droid. It was a protocol droid, a gold one, which he built himself… Now, what was its name?"

It took Luke a few seconds to recover from this before he could stutter, "See-Threepio?"

"Yes, that's it! Does Leia still have him? And how did you get Artoo?"

"It's a long story."

"Most in our family are," Padmé quipped, smiling. Luke looked at the woman he and Leia had thought was dead.

"You still haven't told me who Tiana is." He said it almost accusingly. His mother laughed and touched a commpad on the table. "Karté, please have Tamar bring in Tiana." She spoke to her handmaiden. The door slide open and a girl of twenty was brought in accompanied by a handmaiden. Amidala stood up.

"Tiana, my dearest, this is Luke Skywalker."

The girl turned to face Luke and curtsied very low. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Luke. Obi-wan talked of you often. Did he not, Mother?"

Luke's jaw practically fell off; it dropped open so far.

Padmé Amidala smiled at her son's confusion. "Yes, Luke, this is your younger sister, Tiana. Before your father… had his accident, he and his master, Palpatine," she spat the name with all the hatred she could muster. "Anyway, they decided that they should attempt to have an heir to their beloved empire. As Palpatine had killed his own daughter, it was decided that it should be Annie's child, not knowing you existed. So he came back… pretended he had turned back… Hah! I should not have believed him. But never mind that. I pretended I died. And my whole planet died with me. We closed down our spice industry and became self-sufficient. I must say it worked quite well. And then Obi-wan, who had helped me arrange all of this, decided to train your sister here."

Suddenly there was shouting outside the room. Then a man burst in. "Captain Typho!" Padmé exclaimed in surprise. "What is wrong?"

"We have detected another ship- much larger, though - entering the system. Shall we make contact?"

"What kind of ship is it?" Luke asked, calmly.

"A cargo ship of some kind. What do you think we should do?"

"Do you have a tractor beam?"

The minister answered. "We do but I am not certain it works. It is very old."

"Okay," said Luke. "Then we'll try it. Grab them with it and tell them to surrender and that all crew are to come out. If it doesn't work we'll have to try something else real fast."

"We'll get right on it!" Captain Typho said, firmly. Luke, Tiana and Padmé followed the security chief out into the hanger control room.

"Commander Cordon? Get the tractor beam online now!" The man snapped into the intercom. Suddenly a control panel in front of Padmé lit up.

"It's at full power!" she murmured. She turned to Luke. "Do you now how to operate this thing?"

"Not really, but I will do it."

Expertly, he pressed buttons sending the tractor beam out into space, and watch the radar readout on the panel. He could see the ship approaching.

He could hear Tiana whispering. "Nearly there. Nearly there."

Suddenly the monitor beeped as it registered it had caught something.

"Gotcha!" Luke thought.

"We have a positive lock", he told the rest of the room.

He began nudging the tractor beam, little by little; bringing it in line to pull the craft it to the landing hanger.

Suddenly Luke began smiling. Tiana tipped her head to one side, nearly losing her headdress, and squinting, as if puzzled.

Padmé looked between them, unsure of what had just happened. She watched as Tiana straightened suddenly looking straight at Luke, then out to the hanger and back at Luke, before beginning to smile mischievously, her eyes wide. "Did you know…?" Tiana began.

Luke shook his head in reply.

Padmé was rapidly becoming impatient. "Will one of you please tell me what is happening?"

They both shook their heads.

"It's a surprise." Luke said.

"Come, Mother."

Padmé Amidala had not felt so perplexed as she did just then, following Tiana and Luke to the hanger. Luke strode confidently forward, towards the landed craft, with Tiana a few metres behind and rapidly losing her sureness. The hatch began to open just as Luke reached the ship. He reached in a grabbed the hand of whoever was aboard. Luke stepped in front of the person, whispering rapidly. As soon as Luke stepped aside, the being obviously human, bolted toward Padmé. Ivalla quickly pulled out a blaster, and aimed, but Padmé shook her head. If this person was a threat to her or Tiana, Luke would have stopped them.

The figure flung itself at Padm's feet, holding her tightly. Padmé felt tears begin to flow down her cheeks. She knew why Luke and Tiana had been smiling. They had known who this person was. Had felt them through the Force.

Padmé Amidala took a deep breath and reached down, cupping her hand around the person's face. Slowly, she pulled them to their feet until they were standing up as straight as she was. She didn't say much, but what she did say felt like some of the most important words she'd ever spoken.

"Leia," she whispered. "My little girl. Welcome home." Hugging all her three children to her tightly, she began to cry.

"Mother?" Luke whispered, softly. "Are you alright?"

"I miss your father," was the reply he received.

Queen Estanzia smiled as she watched Minister Padmé Amidala hug her children. Beside her the new Governor of Theed,

Kennan stood straight and rigid. Like the queen he was young, but people respected him as clever and wise. Like the woman they were both watching, and her three very special children. Estanzia let out a deep breath. She would not intrude on Padm's special moment. She had lived through so much; had done so much; had given so much. Surely she deserved to have this special time just for herself. Estanzia knew how much her people respected Padmé Amidala Naberrie. It was highly possible she was even more respected than the queen herself, but then, Padmé had devoted her entire lifetime to serving the Naboo. Why shouldn't the people love her?