The Last Hope: Part One: Leia's Ascension
By Wildchartermage
AN: I'm sorry that I didn't update for a long time, especially for my other fic, but in meantime, it will be updated. Summer is here and I just returned from my vacation, so I have some free time to write a chapter, but I have a lot of other things to do. So I'll write whenever I can. Reviews will be greatly appreciated. Here are two summaries to jog your memory about this story and the last chapter. It really annoys me when I had to flip back previous chapter to "get" the story, so I put summaries to save you the trouble.
Summary of The Last Hope Series: After killing Palaptine, Vader is now the emperor of the Empire and Luke is his heir to the Imperial throne. Rebellion is crushed, but still survives to continue to fight the Empire and its new emperor. Before that, Vader had ensnared Luke to the dark side when he ran away from Tatooine to join the Academy to be a pilot. Since Luke had fallen to the dark side, as Obi-wan and Yoda feared, the galaxy and Rebellion must hope for their last hope: Leia Organa. (But remember, this installment of the series has Palaptine as the emperor, and Vader won't be the emperor until later.)
Summary of Assigned (last chapter): Mon Mothma and the council had assigned Leia to go to Tatooine to retrieve her two droids that contain the Death Star schematics, and find the Old Republic General Obi-wan Kenobi to get his help for the Alliance. Mon Mothma told her that they had received a signal from Jade Star (Can you guess who is it:P) who was a spy on the Death Star and was told that she programmed Leia's droids to escape to Tatooine, and urged them to hurry and get it before Vader gets it. And Jade Star got imprisoned for espionage. Read on.
Chapter Four: Tatooine
Mos Eisley, Tatooine
The heat of the midday in Tatooine hit her hard. The suns were blazing hard, beating its merciless rays on the desert and anybody unlucky to experience its rays. Stretched out from across her stood a town of Mos Eisley. A hive of scum and villains. Every race and language could be heard and seen. A shout here and there. Shoppers and venders haggled and argued over items.
Leia had never felt so hot in her life; even she's wearing all white with a hoodie and a blaster gun hidden under her white cloak. She had no idea where to start to find General Obi-wan Kenobi, but she must get to her beloved and sometimes annoying droids, Artoo and Threepio first.
Leia walked aimlessly down the dusty street, often stopping to ask the locals in Huttese to find a transportation store. They pointed out a store down the street to her, warning that the owner can be difficult and demanding. Unconcerned, she said she can handle difficult people. After all, she had plenty of experience with difficult people. The locals just shrugged and said something like "whatever."
Several entrances later, she reached the store's entrance and stepped in. There was a blue Toydarian flying to her to greet her in Huttese, "Finally, there's a customer! Welcome! What can I do for you?"
She took a look around quickly. There were dirty and old motors and items scattered around the store. You can say it looked like a dump. Leia had recognized some motors that dated back before the Clone Wars.
She asked in Huttese, "Do you have any swoop bike that I can travel across the desert?"
The blue Toydarian said, " Why, yes! Certainly, follow me."
He turned around to lead her into his garage where bikes and pods were stored behind his store. Leia was led to one of the old swoop bikes that had years of dust settled on it. Some paint was peeling and she can guess that the motor isn't working, as it should.
She turned to the Toydarian and firmly said, " Unacceptable. This bike won't last for ten minutes out in the desert, and I require one of your newest models you bought, like the ones over there."
" Those? No, they aren't new. I just kept them clean and this bike here is the same as over there. It just needs some cleaning, that's all."
"Sorry. But I have a trained eye that tells me that this bike here is a piece of junk. Those over there are new and you just bought them a while ago. If you don't let me buy it, then I will take my business elsewhere, and I suppose that Ravvik's store over there would be able to provide for my needs, " Leia slyly said. Who better to make him cave in than the mentioning of his competitor?
He threw up his hands and grumbled, "Fine. You can have those. 3000 credits for the newest model. "
"500 credits, " countered Leia.
"What? Are you trying to make me poor? I've got to make a living! 2000 credits and no more, " exclaimed the Toydarian.
"1000 credits or I'll take my business elsewhere, " threatened Leia.
He complemented it for a moment and decided that some is better than nothing, " Deal."
She smiled at him, happy that she made through this deal, and this Toydarian isn't difficult as she thought.
Out of the blue, the Toydarian asked her, " You looked like somebody who came to this shop more than 30 years ago. Do you happen to be related to her? Her name was Padme Amidol something. I don't remember her name well. "
Leia froze and took a slow deep breath. Her heart thumped louder and louder in her ears.
This might be her clue to her unknown parentage! If she resembles the woman, maybe this woman might be her mother! Children do often resemble their parents. Her father, Bail, had told her that she was adopted, but does not change that fact that Bail loved her very much. Leia since then asked her adoptive father who were her birth mother and father. He distantly said she would know in meantime, but not now. Ever since then, she always wondered who were her birth parents, and most importantly, if they are alive or dead.
"What was her name again?" earnestly asked Leia , her façade calm and composed.
He scratched his head and replied, " Uhh, well…. I think it was Padme Amidala… Yes! That's the name! Padme Amidala."
Leia had heard of that name somewhere in her lessons in the University of Alderaan, where she was learning about politics and social science.
She struggled to remember some more information about her. Let's see…she's from Naboo, definitely, because her name sounds Nabooian. Oh! She was the youngest person to become the queen of Naboo, and then became a senator when she retired from being the queen of Naboo. And…. she cleverly outmaneuvered the Nemoidians and prevented from them overtaking the planet completely when the Nemoidians invaded Naboo.
But there was a mystery that surrounded her, since her unexplained death. Her career had ended too early, and she died when she was only 28…. and her belly looked pregnant, but she had never married or any sweethearts to show to the public. Also, no cancer or any illness could be seen—she was very healthy and beautiful. To this day, if anybody still remembers her, they still speculate why she died, who was her possible lover, and had guessed that the baby died with her.
And all this information about her death and condition made her more interesting to Leia when the Toydarian mentioned her name. She thought that the baby probably survived and the baby might be her! But she got to finger some more information from this guy, who surprisingly knows about the senator in this backwater world.
" Please tell me more about her, when she came here, " quietly asked Leia.
The hovering alien scratched his head again before replying, " That was long time ago. Hmm… she was very beautiful, even my slave boy was taken with her. Oh yes, she came with two Jedi, one who took away my slave boy. That's all I remember. But I never forgot when she came back ten years after that day and…with my slave boy! I guessed they married together, if they hadn't already. They were so besotted with each other that anybody looking them can tell they're in love with each other. And my slave boy became a Jedi! A damned Jedi! "
This new piece of information about the Jedi-slave boy, and Padme being in love with this Jedi made this woman very intriguing to her. She thought the Jedi aren't supposed to marry or be in love with another person, but she can guess that this Jedi broke rules.
"Who was that Jedi boy?" asked Leia again.
"Oh yes. I remember him very well. He was the best slave I ever had. He was the best podracer of Tatooine. The first and only human, a nine-year old, to win the Boonta cup and brought a lot of cash for me! Those moolahs! I was well fed for a long time. He used to work in this shop, fixing anything, but I lost that bet to another Jedi who wanted to free him, but I had kept his mother. "
Leia began to get more excited and her breath began to get a little shorter. Maybe Padme Amidala and this Jedi are her parents! All Jedi were killed in the Great Purge, but Leia knew that the Jedi were good people, as her adoptive father told her about their great deeds. She clung to hope that this Jedi is still alive somewhere, likely to be in hiding.
She quickly asked him, " What was his name?"
The Toydarian suspiciously looked at her and began to fly away from her, "Why do you want to know? I've better to keep my mouth shut and keep those Imps away from me if I mention the Jedi anymore."
The girl began to protest, " But you do! Ok, yes, I was related to that lady. She's my mother and died when I was born, and I never knew my father. This Jedi might be my father. Now, please tell me that Jedi's name. I promise I won't let any Imps rain on you."
Leia fibbed, because she really wants to know the Jedi's name, and it would provide more clues to her parentage, if this lady and the Jedi were actually her birth parents. However, Leia had no idea that her "lie" is actually true.
The Toydarian zoomed back to her and whispered, "So it is. You wanted to know the name of your father, eh? I'll tell you. His name was Anakin Skywalker and a damned good Jedi and racer. He was known as the Hero With No Fear, back in the days of the Old Republic."
Anakin SkywalkerThe name sounded wonderful in her head, a beautiful and well-named name for a Jedi. It was kind of surprising that the Hero With No Fear might be her father; after all, her professors often talked a lot about him in their classes. Her professors are old enough to remember the days of the Old Republic.
They said he died in the Great Purge, conducted by the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Leia felt a surge of moment's hate toward this evil man, who helped Palaptine to rule the planets with an iron fist, and led to the destruction of her home world. The world cannot let such evil rule the galaxy. It's disheartening that all those Jedi were killed, but hopefully, there are still some in hiding….
With a shock, she realized that part of her job was to find General Kenobi, the teacher of Anakin Skywalker! This man would know a lot of things about her possible father.
Snapping out of it, she said, " Thank you very much for your help, yuehshev. I'll pay you, but please tell me one more thing before I go."
He surprisingly smiled at her and showed his rotten, brown teeth and said, " Anything for the daughter of Anakin Skywalker. He brought me a lot of cash in, back in those days. What it is you want to know?"
"Well, uhh…. Do you happen to know General Obi-wan Kenobi? He was the teacher of my father," she hesitantly asked. She doesn't trust this alien, and hoped that he won't sell out her identity and possible heritage to the Imps when she leaves this shop.
"Ah yes! He was one of that two Jedi who came here, more than 30 years ago. I have no idea. But you might want to try the Lars' homestead. Owen Lars is Anakin's stepbrother, and is living not too far from here. "
Leia's mind reeled even more. She had a uncle! Maybe. If Anakin Skywalker is her father. Either way, it will lead her to Obi-wan Kenobi, but not until she finds those droids at a certain coordinate.
Leia reached into her tunic and pulled out 1000 credits to pay the Toydarian, and an additional 300 credits for the information provided to her. On this crime-infested world, one must pay to get something even it's unasked. She now trusted him to not to say anything to the Imps, about her inquiry of the Jedi and senator.
The Toydarian smiled at her and said, "Thank you very much for coming here, daughter of Anakin Skywalker. It's not everyday that your favored slave's children come into your shop." And took the money, bowed to her graciously, and led her to her new swoop bike.
When Leia had comfortably settled into the seat, ignited the engine, and lifted the bike off the floor, the alien then gave her directions to the Lars' homestead, and when he finished, she asked him one last question, " What's your name, yuehshev?"
"Watto."
Nodding her thanks to him, she blasted off into the heat and soon, off to get her droids, finding the Lars, and ultimately, to General Kenobi. Then her mission will be over, once the Death Star plans are in the Alliance's hands.
AN: Hope you like this chapter. Reviews will be greatly appreciated. The word "yuehshev" is my made up Huttese word. It's a term used to address your elders respectfully. I know I should start leaving cliffhangers, but never fear, I'll do it soon.