My thanks to: Jokerisdaking, LVB, TriGemini, Natalie-Corr, Star clipper 01, Mei fa-chan: Don't worry, all will be revealed in time. Good suggestions from everyone. And StarClipper: you should really write a SW fic of your own! I know I'd read it.

Chapter 7: Storytellers

The family sat down at the same couches they'd been at before. This time, Jobal offered them drinks and they accepted. Han continued to, uncomfortably, comfort Leia. Leia continued to glance in Luke's direction. She was trying to read him. His body was set like stone and his hands were clenched.

He had to be the story teller now, telling his new family what had transpired to bring them here, now.

Jobal came back and set the water on the table in front of them. Leia took one gratefully, as did Sola. Luke glanced at Leia. His jaw clenched and unclenched. Leia nodded sadly.

"Well," Luke said. "I'm not sure where to begin."

"Star with where we grew up," Leia said. Sola glanced up at her sharp tone. Leia's eyes couldn't seem to focus in one spot. She licked her lips and took a deep breath.

"I grew up on Alderaan, as we know. I was taken while on a diplomatic mission which was actually a mission to give the plans to a battle station to the Rebel Alliance. Darth Vader took my ship, captured me, and eventually destroyed Alderaan."

"We'd heard that," Ruwee remarked. He gave her a tender look, but she flinched.

Luke continued. "I was on Tatooine with my aunt and uncle. R2 made his way into our acquaintance…"

So Luke began the rest of the story. He highlighted the meetings he had with Vader and his Jedi training. When he brought Han into it, Han gave a small sad smirk. Leia flinched whenever Vader was mentioned or shifted in her seat. Han gave up the comfort.

"My word, so there was still something there?" After he'd told the end of the story, or rather the beginning for them now, they'd all sat back. Jobal remarked first. "And…he killed the Emperor? We'd heard a young boy trained as a Jedi did…" She smiled sheepishly. "Oh, you."

"No, father did." Leia grimaced at his use of father and shot him a look. He only shook his head.

"So…when he died...he didn't even mention her?"

"No," Luke said in response to Sola's angry question.

"And that's all he could think about when he came here!" She pounded the arm of the chair. Jobal tried to soothe her, but she wouldn't have it.

"No. Now it's our turn. You said that-that Anakin told you we'd find answers here on Naboo. He left the dirty work to us, then."

"I'm waiting."

Sola began her story with a swig of water and remarked, "I wonder if I should tell Ryoo or Pooja about all this."

Ruwee spoke up. "Of course you should. But in due time dear: Ryoo is still recovering."

"Excuse me," Luke said, "who?"

Jobal smiled. "Sola's daughters, Ryoo and Pooja. They were still small when she died. But Ryoo just had a baby. She named her…she named her Padme."

Leia sighed. Sola glanced her way. "Yes," she said with a twisted look, "Imagine how it feels to me. An honor, but a memory that hurts and soothes."

Luke sent Leia a frustrated look. She could feel rather than hear what he meant. Just listen. He was frustrated. But by Jove, so was she!

Sola started when everyone seemed calmer.

"A month after her funeral, he came. In his suit, with his troops. They'd sent a few battalions to keep our planet 'in line' and overthrow the queen. Governor Solus was in charge then, and he seemed fair. But we'd already started planning a rebellion of our own in her honor. That's also when we decided to keep her room the same." her eyes gazed off out the window.

"I remember her funeral. Hundreds of thousands came, mostly from here, some foreign. I walked behind mother and father, with Ryoo, Pooja, and Damian, my husband. The queen, senators, everyone was there. That's where some talks began." She blinked. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Luke said.

"Anyway. He came to the house with his troops. I sent Ryoo and Pooja away, we were here with Mom and Dad. He seemed to watch them for a while then looked at us. Not that anyone can see his eyes in that…mask. He barged in and asked about her. As if she were still alive.

"Where is the child? He asked a million questions, with the troops guns in our faces. I yelled and screamed at him. 'Why do you need to know?' I told him she was dead and that the child had died with her. She was still pregnant in the casket! He seemed pleased by our answers but then asked the impossible of us. The impossible." She searched the twins gazes.

Ruwee nodded, and Jobal started crying afresh. "'He said: I want to resurrect her. Give her body to me.'"

Leia gasped, Han's mouth opened, R2 whistled sadly, and Luke furrowed his brow.

"We told him he was crazy. And we'd never tell him where. He told us he'd just search anyway. He made us tell him. Then he asked to go in her room. I told him I'd kill him if he went in there. He hesitated, I didn't care if he killed me, but he left. That was it. That was all. His troops left and he went to her grave."

"How do you know?"

"Because we followed him there. We didn't want him to take her. How could he know how to resurrect her? You can't just do that! What about the baby…the baby we thought was dead?

"He went there with his troops, it's not far from here. I sneaked over and watched." Her forehead wrinkled. "it was strange. He stooped down, looked at the marker, then felt the ground. He shook his head then left. That's all. He never came back to Naboo. But-one thing…"

She looked back up at the twins. "He looked my way when he left, like he knew I'd come…he shook his head then left. That was all. I don't know why he didn't do what he said he would, but…I'm grateful." Her face hardened. "I still hate him."

"I don't blame you," Leia remarked. She looked at Luke, then to her hosts. "I'm sorry to be rude, but I think we should go for now. I'm tired and I-"

"Your wound," Jobal said. She pointed to where Leia's bandaged arm was actually bleeding again.

"Oh…" She blinked. Jobal leapt up and grabbed some towels out of the kitchen. Han shifted off the couch to make room for her. She sat next to her, reluctantly, and Leia flinched when she took it off.

" A blaster wound?"

"Yeah, we saw some action." She tried to smile but winced as it was tied tighter. She stroked her arm after she was done. Leia sat unflinching at her.

"What do you want from me?"

Jobal shook her head. "Nothing you're not willing to give. Tell me, would you like to go to the grave?"

Leia shook her head. "No, like I said, we should go. Right Luke?" She begged him with her eyes. He got the picture, with or without the Force.

"Yeah. There's more time for this later. We're sorry."

"No please," Ruwee said, "There's no need. Come back tomorrow. Hopefully we can discover more out of this together."

The visitors left their hosts faster than when they'd came in. As R2 escorted them down the lane back to their ship, Leia remarked coldly: "How will we talk to our precious father about this now, brother?"