Disclaimer : see chapter 1
Once again, I'd like to thank my friends – cho_chang and Gestalte achter de muur…
Thanks to Hermoine Granger, Buffy, Lady Vader, Heather Wan, Kazzy, Lady Bug, Amidala, YouAndMeAlwaysAnd4Ever, Rachel, Jar Jar, Harlequin, Spike_s Gal, Disney Freak (dat ben ik ook, NB), Joey, Liesje, Cinnamon, someoneusedmynickalready , BaseJumper, DownDownDown, Ami, Ann and Tafkay for your kind words or: voor jullie aandacht en steun !
Chapter 2Leia stared out of the window of the elegant spaceship to the planet stretched out before her. The warm midday sun shone without mercy on the sky-high buildings of Coruscant.
Leia settled herself more comfortably in her seat. She didn't like this place, with al its impersonal, concrete architecture. There was no room for nature - the complete opposite of Naboo.
Yet it was here that the headquarters of the New Galactic Republic were founded, following the example of the old Senate, which had been completely destroyed during the dictatorship of Palpatine.
Now it was gradually being rebuild and more and more planets sent representatives to the impressive building once again. Slowly Coruscant returned being the busy planet it once had been, before the terror of the Imperial Regime.
Leia sighed. She was almost home. Not that she regarded this place as home – Han and she had already decided to move later on, and Naboo seemed a welcome alternative – but now she had to stay at Coruscant. Her function in the New Galactic Republic could not be underestimated. Most of the planets knew about her contribution in the fall of the Empire and as such, they had much confidence in her capabilities. Therefore, she tried to perform her task as a diplomat the best way she could, if only to redeem the mistakes her father once made ….
As the spaceship approached the landing site, that lay just past the restored Senate, Leia saw a glimpse of the new Jedi Temple, build under the direction of her brother Luke. His attempts to bring the Order back to life were successful. Once more several children and even a few adults with whom the Force was strongly present wished to learn the Jedi teachings.
The Force was also strong in Leia, but she was never taught to rely on It. It wasn't her intention at all to become a Jedi Knight; that was rather something for Luke. Nevertheless she had a profound connection with her brother, one that was even deeper and stronger than the one she shared with Han, her husband. She couldn't explain it, but as Luke had once said: "The Force is strong in my family; I have It, my Father has it, as does my sister …"
And their mother? Had the Force been with her?
These questions brought Leia back to all the other ones concerning her mother. Should she talk to Luke about it? Maybe he knew more …
****
The moment senator Organa Skywalker Solo set foot on solid ground, she felt how two strong arms held her tightly.
"I've missed you," Han Solo whispered in his wife's ear. Leia gave him a tender kiss and for a moment leaned against him. While she broke away from his embrace, she let her eyes wander over the small group of people who had been waiting her arrival on the landing site.
Chewbacca, the tall Wookie and loyal companion to Han, stood there somewhat uncomfortably. But when Leia approached him, he took her in his strong arms, and from his enthusiastic growls she knew he was happy to see her.
A little further, she noticed the inseparable duo C-3PO and R2-D2. The golden C-3PO started rambling immediately how happy he was to see her unharmed and in one piece, especially because the odds to return uninjured from a weeklong journey were only one in three hundred seventeen.
R2-D2 expressed as usual his happiness with a high squeaking.
Then her eyes fell on Luke. Her brother stood bolt upright, hands behind his back. His whole appearance showed peace and self-confidence. He was a Jedi Knight and had learned to trust the Force within him. A smile lingered on his lips and in his bright blue eyes. He took her hands in his.
"I'm very glad to see you again, Leia."
The princess laughed.
"What a welcome! You act as if you haven't seen me for years. And I wasn't even gone for a month!"
"We had no one to tease," Han said playfully, "you can't imagine how boring it has been!" He put an arm over her shoulder. "Come on, dinner is getting cold and that would be a waste! We moved heaven and earth getting the cook to change his weekly routine and make something special."
****
"And that's about it. All in all I can say that my journey has been successful. Most planets were willing to join the Republic again. Even Naboo, against all my expectations…"
"Wasn't Palpatine from there?" Luke asked interested.
Leia nodded.
"And they are far from proud of it. You should have seen the capital, Theed. Once, it must have been breathtaking, and now … I promised the Queen of the Naboo that the New Republic will obviously help with the restorations. Anyway, I can not understand what possessed Palpatine to do such a thing…"
"It can't be understood," Luke said gravely. "A normal person would never be able to what he did, but Palpatine wasn't a normal person anymore. The Dark Side of the Force had consumed him completely. The only thing he still knew was hatred and most of all power. And everything and everyone had to yield for it. Eventually …" Luke paused a moment and continued hesitantly, "he also used Vader to gain that power …"
Silence fell. Leia looked at her brother. Luke had always believed that there was still something of Anakin Skywalker hidden deep under the armour of the dreadful Dart Vader. Ultimately, this belief had lead to the salvation, not only of Luke and Vader but of the entire Galaxy.
Leia however has still a hard time with it. She wished she could share Lukes faith and thrust in their father, but it wasn't that simple. So much had happened. She would never forget the moment Vader gave the order to destroy Alderaan, her home planet, completely. In one stroke, barely a fraction of a second, she had lost everyone who meant so much to her – her foster parents, her friends, her home. She hated the person who had done this; she hated him with all her heart. And that person was her father …
That was why she didn't want to become a Jedi Knight. She hadn't yet dealt with that part of her past. Contrary to Luke, she still felt deep conflicting emotions – love, anger, hate – and she knew all to well to what this could lead …
Han cleared his throat.
"Chewie and I have to check something on the Falcon. We'll catch you later…"
The two friends rose on their foot and left the room. Han gave his wife a concerned look but Leia gave a sign that everything was alright.
"I'm sorry," Luke started as soon as they were alone, "I shouldn't have … I know it's different for you then that it is for me."
"No, … I was just a bit startled. I … The journey was quite wearying. I think I will retire for a bit…"
Luke nodded and watched his sister leave. He was concerned. He sensed something was bothering her. He sighed, stood up and left the dining room.
****
Leia sat on her bed and stared outside. The rays of the setting sun were reflected in about a thousand windows, the only spectacle she really enjoyed here on Coruscant.
The princess stretched one last time and stood up. Those couple of hours of sleep had done her remarkably well. It was nearly time for supper, and although she wasn't really hungry, she did want to keep her family company.
She walked to the door and noticed her travelling bag. One of the servants must have brought it to her room. She picked it up and was surprised by its weight. Suddenly she remembered the mysterious woman in Theed. Quickly she opened her bag and took the package out. Indecisively she held it in her hands. After a brief moment, she finally decided to open it. Rapidly, she tore the brown paper of. To her amazement, she discovered five notebooks. Stunned she opened the first one, and saw, written on the front page in elegant handwriting :
Diary of Padmé NaberrieQueen Amidala of the Naboo
A diary of one of the predecessors of Queen Salina? Why was it given to her?
When she looked in the second book, the same thing was written. In the third one, nevertheless, "Queen" was replaced by "Senator". But when she examined the fourth notebook, her heart skipped a beat. Totally bewildered, she lowered herself onto her bed, and for al long time she could only stare at these two simple phrases :
Diary of Padmé NaberrieSenator Amidala of the Naboo and wife of Anakin Skywalker