Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, wish I did, but I don't.

United We Stand

Chapter One

An excited sixteen-year-old Luke Skywalker bounced into the kitchen of the old moisture farm. His bright blue eyes were shining with anticipation. It was his birthday tomorrow, which meant that he was going to have a visitor come today and stay until the day after. That's how it has always been. His sister was coming.

They both looked forward to this every year. For three days, they could spend time with each other in the physical plane. But no one could know about it. They had to keep each other a secret from everyone, or someone would find them, someone who they definitely did not want to confront. At least, that's what they had always been told. No matter how much either of them questioned, though, they never could get any answers out of anyone— not Uncle Owen or Aunt Beru or Master Obi-Wan or Leia's foster father Bail. They were all very tightlipped about everything. They even kept him from joining the Alliance. Oh, they always came up with a good excuse though. It's too dangerous, we need you here, and the like. But the fact of the matter was that Leia was there, and at any time something could happen to her, and he wouldn't be there.

But today, that didn't matter. Leia was coming. He was finally getting to see his sister again.

OoOoOoOoO

Leia smiled to herself as she settled down into a land speeder that her foster father had managed to secure. She hated all the secrecy surrounding her visit, but as long as she got to come, she didn't care. She had been separated from Luke for long enough. How she wished that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru would relent and let him join the Alliance! But that was her thinking selfishly. That would put him in danger, but she wanted him to be near.

She smiled as she saw the moisture farm come into view. She loved coming here. She didn't have to be the Imperial Senator, or the perfectly poised Alderaanian Princess, or the exalted leader of the Alliance. Here, she could just be Leia. She didn't have to hide behind a façade. No one would judge her here—not Luke, not her aunt and uncle, not even Obi-Wan. Nobody expected anything from her except herself.

She stepped out of the speeder and practically ran to the homestead. The door was thrown open before she got there and the young man standing there caused her to shift from practically running to full out running.

"Luke!" she cried joyfully as she ran into her brother's outstretched arms.

"Leia!" he said, just as happy. "I'm so glad to see you! I've missed you so much!"

"I know," she said. "I've missed you just as much!"

"Come on, if I keep you out here too long, Aunt Beru will skin me alive. She's been cooking all morning in preparation of our big birthday dinner!" Luke laughed.

"Well, I would hate to keep her waiting," she said as she followed him here.

"Leia dear!" Aunt Beru exclaimed as she caught sight of her niece. She gave her a warm, motherly hug. "I'm glad to see you're well, my dear. Owen, look who's here!"

"Well, if it isn't my little girl," Owen said, showing the soft spot that he reserved for only Beru and Leia.

"Not so little any more, Uncle," Leia replied, giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek.

"That you aren't, lamb. Both of you have grown up far too quickly for my comfort."

OoOoOoOoO

The three days went by far too quickly for Luke. He hated to see his sister leave. He knew that she was in constant danger due to her political positions. He also knew that there was no way for him to protect her until he was allowed to join the Alliance, which everyone was dead-set against. What they were so afraid of was anybody's guess. As he and Leia exchanged their tearful farewells, he thought about how unfair their lives were. What was the big secret that was hidden from them. What would it matter if anybody knew if they were twins or not? It's not like anyone would care about one iota about him. Sure, it wouldn't go unnoticed with Leia being who she was, but it's not like anyone would care too much in the grand scheme of things, especially with the epic battle being waged between the Empire and the Alliance, neither of which would find much interest in the reuniting of a pair of twins.

Tbc…

Okay, next chapter, Luke on Alderaan! Please review!