The look on her daughter's face was something Padme would never forget. She
had always believed that she had done the right thing in allowing Anakin to
take care of Leia; indeed as she contemplated the bright young women who
stood before here she silently congratulated Anakin on raising her.
Yet she couldn't forget that this young person was barely more then a stranger.
"Leia I am trying to make things better, it was in your best interest then to separate you and your brother..."
"You're not in the senate now" Leia scoffed, her eyes bright with tears. "I'm not a jury you must convince of your innocence." Her voice broke and her eyes filled with tears. Then she looked very young.
"I was your daughter"
Padme tried to function around the block in her throat, her voice came out scarred and raw. Her own eyes filled and she felt as if she wanted to bundle the little girl up and hold her forever, yet she felt so far away from her daughter.
"Leia, I can't say anything"
Leia seemed to draw on her Jedi training because when she lifted her head, her tears were gone and she stared at the supreme chancellor.
"We should get back." She advised, her tone modulated, "I'm compromising your safety by being out of the home area"
Without waiting for a reply Leia trudged back up the slope. She didn't want to see her father didn't want to have to say she understood when she wasn't. A sudden thought gripped her. Who did Luke turn to when he was upset? The thought made her sad, even though he was her brother he was just as strange as her mother. Leia strode with purpose, even though she and Luke were estranged they had both been lied to, they could find a common ground there.
Luke sat hunched on the floor. The holonet blared in the corner but he ignored it. All the thoughts he had kept to himself flooded back to him. His whole world had collapsed. Padme had assured him, his family would become stronger but Luke didn't see how that was possible with his mother and sister and odds and a silent figurehead as a father.
A timid knock came at the door, his first thought was to tell them to go away but despite himself he yelled a greeting. The door opened and he saw Leia-his sister. He thought that strange. Twenty hours ago he had believed he was an only child.
"Hey." She said softly. She didn't say anything else, she didn't need to, they both felt numb to their bones.
"So how did you take it?" Leia asked, taking a seat beside the blond boy. Luke felt his expression harden.
"I thought I had outgrown temper tantrums. Obviously not"
Leia smirked, without mirth. "Yeah, funny how they expect you to be grown up about this when they can't even look each other in the eye"
Luke murmured and agreement but his mind was somewhere else.
"Hey, would you like to talk to someone about this?" Leia asked, when he looked at her she elaborated.
"Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi, he was dad's master years ago but he's sorta my best friend," she frowned.
"I bet he knew about this"
"Everyone else does" Luke surmised
The twins sighed in unison. "So what do we do now?" Luke asked. Leia's eyes glinted dangerously.
"Well they feel guilty enough as it is, I say we take this guilt trip for a spin"
Luke felt nervousness coil in his stomach at Leia's tone. Despite how mad he was at his mother he would never want to prolong her guilt-much. He was about to speak up when Leia sighed as well and put her head on her knees. .
"I'm to mad to think of revenge, it's not a Jedi trait anyway" her head still resting on her knees she turned to face Luke and said gently.
"You want to speak with Obi Wan?"
Luke shook his head, he didn't know how he felt right now-except betrayed.
Leia smiled understandably. "I know."
She got up but paused by the door.
"If you want to talk about the injustice of the universe and how grown ups mess up everything with their crummy feelings then I'll be in my room throwing things at the wall"
Luke smiled despite himself and Leia returned it as she shut the door behind her. Luke sat back in his former position, this time no less weighed down but feeling a little clearer.
Maybe having a sister could work out.
Yet she couldn't forget that this young person was barely more then a stranger.
"Leia I am trying to make things better, it was in your best interest then to separate you and your brother..."
"You're not in the senate now" Leia scoffed, her eyes bright with tears. "I'm not a jury you must convince of your innocence." Her voice broke and her eyes filled with tears. Then she looked very young.
"I was your daughter"
Padme tried to function around the block in her throat, her voice came out scarred and raw. Her own eyes filled and she felt as if she wanted to bundle the little girl up and hold her forever, yet she felt so far away from her daughter.
"Leia, I can't say anything"
Leia seemed to draw on her Jedi training because when she lifted her head, her tears were gone and she stared at the supreme chancellor.
"We should get back." She advised, her tone modulated, "I'm compromising your safety by being out of the home area"
Without waiting for a reply Leia trudged back up the slope. She didn't want to see her father didn't want to have to say she understood when she wasn't. A sudden thought gripped her. Who did Luke turn to when he was upset? The thought made her sad, even though he was her brother he was just as strange as her mother. Leia strode with purpose, even though she and Luke were estranged they had both been lied to, they could find a common ground there.
Luke sat hunched on the floor. The holonet blared in the corner but he ignored it. All the thoughts he had kept to himself flooded back to him. His whole world had collapsed. Padme had assured him, his family would become stronger but Luke didn't see how that was possible with his mother and sister and odds and a silent figurehead as a father.
A timid knock came at the door, his first thought was to tell them to go away but despite himself he yelled a greeting. The door opened and he saw Leia-his sister. He thought that strange. Twenty hours ago he had believed he was an only child.
"Hey." She said softly. She didn't say anything else, she didn't need to, they both felt numb to their bones.
"So how did you take it?" Leia asked, taking a seat beside the blond boy. Luke felt his expression harden.
"I thought I had outgrown temper tantrums. Obviously not"
Leia smirked, without mirth. "Yeah, funny how they expect you to be grown up about this when they can't even look each other in the eye"
Luke murmured and agreement but his mind was somewhere else.
"Hey, would you like to talk to someone about this?" Leia asked, when he looked at her she elaborated.
"Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi, he was dad's master years ago but he's sorta my best friend," she frowned.
"I bet he knew about this"
"Everyone else does" Luke surmised
The twins sighed in unison. "So what do we do now?" Luke asked. Leia's eyes glinted dangerously.
"Well they feel guilty enough as it is, I say we take this guilt trip for a spin"
Luke felt nervousness coil in his stomach at Leia's tone. Despite how mad he was at his mother he would never want to prolong her guilt-much. He was about to speak up when Leia sighed as well and put her head on her knees. .
"I'm to mad to think of revenge, it's not a Jedi trait anyway" her head still resting on her knees she turned to face Luke and said gently.
"You want to speak with Obi Wan?"
Luke shook his head, he didn't know how he felt right now-except betrayed.
Leia smiled understandably. "I know."
She got up but paused by the door.
"If you want to talk about the injustice of the universe and how grown ups mess up everything with their crummy feelings then I'll be in my room throwing things at the wall"
Luke smiled despite himself and Leia returned it as she shut the door behind her. Luke sat back in his former position, this time no less weighed down but feeling a little clearer.
Maybe having a sister could work out.