Leia sat at the square metal table in the living room. It looked more like a chef's prep station than a child's desk, but she enjoyed working there. She sat on a high stool with one leg dangling and the other tucked beneath her as she scrolled through her data pad. She fidgeted on her seat and tugged at her long, neat braid of deep brown hair. Luke watched her and wondered when she would finally fold. He knew she was bored, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Whatcha reading?" Luke asked from his perch on the couch. He had positioned himself upside-down, feet hanging over the back and blood rushing to his head. Admittedly he was bored too.

He had finished his homework for the weekend and there was nothing good on the holonet this late at night… At least, not with the parental controls still enabled. Luke knew how to disable them, but that hadn't gone over so well last time when their father found out.

Leia let out a groan and looked ready to slam her head against the data pad. "It's about soil, and soil qualities, and loam and clay and dirt! I'm not even sure we have dirt on Coruscant."

Luke flinched. "Don't you mean Imperial Center?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Daddy's not here. You can say Coruscant."

"But… what if… I mean, there could be bugs. You know, for the hooded guy," Luke said, gesturing toward the window that looked directly at the palace. Leia gave him a dead pan stare.

"Daddy wouldn't let him bug our house. Don't be overly paranoid."

"Still…"

"Still nothing, Luke. It's referred to as Imperial Center, but underneath that, it's still Coruscant."

Luke smirked at her argument and pushed his long blond bangs off of his forehead. "So maybe you should care about the dirt after all, since that's its name."

"Ugh," she carped loudly. "I care about the politics of the planet! Just not… the microbial qualities of dirt I can't touch or see…"

"Fair enough," Luke grinned. His face was glowing red from being upside for so long.

Leia smiled back. She hopped off her chair and came to sit by her brother, who righted himself to share the couch with her. "You're the last person who should criticize my lack of interest in sand…"

"No, Dad is."

"Ha-ha. No, what I mean, Space Cadet, is all you care about is up there," she gestured to the skies.

Luke nodded in agreement and followed her finger towards the… ceiling. Great. He sighed. He wished their father would leave the balcony unlocked so they could still stargaze… not that you could actually see the stars on Coru—Imperial Center. Not with all the light pollution. But even so, Luke loved gazing up and just knowing the galaxy was out there.

Leia watched his miffed stare. She pulled her braid across her shoulder to play with its tail and reminded him, "That one was your fault."

"I know," he said sharply and shot her a glare. That made her grin. She loved ruffling his feathers. It was too easy, but still enjoyable.

Anyway, how could he forget? All the trouble around here was usually Luke's fault. He was accident prone, sort of. Okay, okay, maybe a bit mischievous too. But it was so boring here. Especial when their father had to work long hours, which was more often than any of them would have liked.

And being the protective papa-bear he was, as Leia would say, everything fun was locked while he was gone. Not just the balcony, but the hangar, the sparing room, the conference room and the library. They basically only had access to their bedrooms, the 'fresher and the kitchen. Luke wanted to point out that when he was at the detention center, he was kind enough to turn his home into one for his children, but he couldn't imagine that bringing a laugh.

It doesn't warrant one because it's not funny,Leia said into his head.

"Hey!" Luke grumped. "Stay out of my mind."

"Then keep your shields up. And don't compare our quarters to the detention center."

"I wasn't actually going to…"

"Good. Because if you had any idea the things he actually did there…"

"Leia."

She folded her arms crossly and bit her tongue as much as she could. "It's not right," she seethed.

"You sound like a rebel," Luke said and raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't think Dad would like that anymore than my attempt at humor."

"I'm not a rebel," Leia hissed and stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, real mature!" Luke objected.

She turned her nose up at him. "I'm a humanitarian."

"You don't even know what that word means," Luke grumbled.

"Yes I do! It means I care about sentient life!"

"You ate bantha steak for dinner."

"So..?"

"Aren't banthas sentient? Don't they feel pain?"

Leia looked perplexed for a moment before nodding her head assuredly. "You're right. From now on, I'm a vegetarian."

Luke put his face in his hands, "Oh no… Leia… Look, do whatever you want, but don't blame me when you tell Dad that. I just got un-grounded!"

"I'll take it into consideration," she smirked.

Luke leaned back against the velvet fabric and closed his eyes. He was getting tired. Maybe they should go to bed…

"Mom was a humanitarian," Leia said softly.

Luke sat up quickly and studied his twin's face. "Who told you that?"

"Artoo."

"You don't speak binary!"

"Not fluently, but enough. And he showed me."

"A new video? Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I'm telling you now."

"I wish Artoo was here," Luke whined. He loved that droid.

Leia grinned at her grumpy twin. "He is more fun than Threepio."

"Don't…!" Luke jumped, but the sound was detected, breaking his temporary disablement. There was a loud clattering that sounded like pots and pans falling in the utility closet.

"So that's where you put him," Leia said, watching for the closet door to open.

Swoosh, and the golden bot appeared, stumbling to get his footing at first, then trudged down the hall to them, just slightly more flustered than normal.

"Master Luke! That was very rude! I have a mind to comm your father about this—this—mutiny!"

"And say what, Threepio? That I fixed your hand and made sure you were fully charged?"

"I—well—" Threepio stammered as he looked at his left hand that had been broken previously in a dualling accident – for once by Leia's mistake and not his. "I suppose that does feel better," Threepio said as he flexed his golden digits. "Thank you, Master Luke. But I still cannot condone you locking me in the cleaning closet, as if I were a maid-droid!" the response was haughty. Threepio hated becoming compared to lesser bots.

"Of course you're not a maid-droid, Threepio," Leia said with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"You're a wonderfully nanny-droid."

"I—I most certainly am not!" the bot huffed. "I am a protocol droid!"

"Human Cyborg Relations, we know," the twins chorus, passing each other amused looks.

Threepio huffed once more, looking between them. "You two would be better handled by stormtroopers than nanny-droids."

"Fair enough," Luke shrugged.

"But you'd miss us," said Leia with a sweet smile.

Threepio looked around the room, twisting at the hip left and right. "Where is Artoo?"

"Dad took him today. His shuttle needed repairs."

"Ah yes. Speaking of Master Anakin…"

"He doesn't like it when you call him that."

"… It is far past your predesignated bedtimes." Threepio looked at the children expectantly, but they did not react. "Which means you must go to bed, at once."

"Did you remember to bring the stormtroopers to enforce that?" Leia quipped.

"Miss Leia! I'm surprised at you."

"Yeah, you're entering Luke-territory," her brother smiled. "Should I be happy or threatened?"

"If by threatened, you mean aware that I can do mischief better than you, then yes," she replied.

"A humanitarian and a rebel," Luke pretended to consider it deeply. He looked back up at Leia's proud face. "And the galaxy quakes!"

She stuck out her tongue, as she pulled the band out of her braid and began undoing it with her fingers, letting her shiny waves free.

"Children!" Threepio exclaimed, attempting to take control again. "I must insist you observe your set sleeping hours or I will have no choice but…"

"… to comm Master Ani, we know," Luke cut him off.

Threepio blustered gibberish before stating again, "How rude! To think I once considered the two of you adorable…"

"Aw c'mon, Threepio. We're still adorable," Luke said with a wide grin. "And we should be able to stay up later than 21:00 on a weekend."

"Should and are, are two very different words, Master Luke."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the grammar lesson."

"So, Miss Leia, Master Luke, what will it be? Are you going to bed or am I comm-ing your father?"

Leia looked up from undoing her braid and her eyes flashed with an idea. "Neither," she replied and closed her eyes, letting out a deep and steady breath.

Luke felt the electricity in the air and nearly jumped with excitement. Leia stretched out in the Force and triggered Threepio's snooze-mode, one their father installed for when he needed a break from the chatty droid, andone the twins were not allowed to use.

Luke's face lit up, stunned and delighted. "You're in deep Luke-territory now."

Leia ignored him as she raked her fingers through her now fully loose locks.

"No I'm serious. And thrilled, by the way. Maybe I won't be the only one grounded this time."

Leia turned her nose up at him as she spun her hair in a circle, making one twisted tendril before rolling that into a bun on top of her head. "Daddy's never grounded me."

"You've never disabled Threepio before," Luke said with a shrugging gesture toward the frozen droid. Leia was disinterested by the idea, brushing it off with a roll of her eyes.

"Can I play with your hair?" she asked, as she finished pinning her bun in place.

"Okay, but no pigtails this time," he said, scooting closer to her. Leia loved doing hair. She was talented at her own, but liked to use her brother for tight braid or mohawk practice. Last time, she put two high pigtails on top of his head that looked like they belonged on a toddler and Artoo had captured the image to Luke's dismay.

"Fine," she said as she used her fingers to card through her brother's golden blond hair that he let grow longer than most of the other boys their age. She made thoughtful sections and began practicing different braiding styles.

Luke let her fuss for one full round of his head, before he was done and wiggled out of her reach. They barely agreed on an old movie to re-watch, one that was mainly Leia's choice but at least had one decent battle scene, so Luke begrudgingly accepted. They put it on, both zoning out on the couch, cuddled up to each other, not that they would ever acknowledge it.

It was unspoken, like so many things in their twin bond. That they took care of each other, that they had each other's backs. Luke thought about it, how much he and Leia could fight and compete with each other, but how there wasn't anyone else in the galaxy he was as close to. It was always Luke and Leia, together, through everything. Dad was gone a lot, their friends came and went over the years, and different nannies had never lasted. They had no extended family, no aunts or uncles or cousins or grandparents. Just them. Luke and Leia, and sometimes Dad.

Luke frowned as he thought about his father, whom he loved deeply, but who felt more like a stranger lately. Sometimes, that love hurt him more than it comforted him. He missed their dad. He knew he didn't want to be away, necessarily, but it was hard to reconcile that. He was gone so much that it was becoming the norm. And with Luke acting up now more as an under-stimulated eleven-year-old, they were more apt to bump heads than not.

It was a quarter past midnight when the movie finished. They let the credits roll, too lazy to switch it off or find something else.

Just as Luke thought they might both drift to sleep, they felt the most tentative nudge of their father's Force against theirs. Both children's eyes widened and they sat from their lounging positions, turning quickly to face each other.

The thought was simultaneous. How, with all the time they had wasted this evening, how had they not agreed on an explanation as to why they were up so late?

They knew their father's prod was to see if they were asleep, which - spoiler alert - they weren't. But it was strange too, with how quickly it had retracted. They spoke that shared curiosity to each other without needing words. Normally this was the time for a stern baritone to ring in their ears with a scolding demand that they better get your butts in bed before I get home!

The comm buzzed in the kitchen. Leia raised her brows as Luke scooted away from the call to clear her path as he sent her, Not It!

She lifted her lip into an arch and uched at him as she scooted herself off the couch to go answer. Coward, she sent to her brother, and he responded with his tongue out at her.

"Hi Daddy…" she answered, tone light and shy.

"Don't stick your tongue out at your sister!" their father barked.

Luke almost fell off the couch.

"Now, why are you not in bed?!"

"We wanted to wait up for you, Daddy," Leia said. "You promised…"

"I know what I promised!" he snapped at Leia. She flinched, which was the most she would show of being nervous.

Luke scrambled to his feet to join Leia at the comm. "Dad, it's my fault, I…"

"I don't care whosefault it is," their father snarled. "Both of you get to bed at once. Am I clear?"

Before Luke could quickly promise yes sir, Leia pushed her brother back to signal she was again taking control of this conversation. "Why are you comm-ing?"

"I believe the reason for my call is obvious…"

"No, why are you using the comm, and not the Force?"

"Leia…" he warned her.

"You're hiding something!"

"Young lady, that is enough!" His voice rolled like distance thunder. "My patience is non-existent tonight, if you haven't noticed. I will be home shortly and I better not see either of your faces…"

"Why not?" Leia retorted. "Unless it's your face you don't want us to see."

The apartment shook, as if an earthquake had struck. Luke and Leia grasped each other for strength and braced against the trembling walls. The air became freezing cold, as if all the heat had been sucked out and replaced with air from Hoth.

"You will go to your rooms at once!" he bellowed at them with an ugly growl rounding out his words. "I have been undermined in my own home enough for a lifetime! And I will not hear a single solitary sound out of you two until morning!"

The comm clicked off. The quaking stopped as abruptly as it had started. The air returned to normal temperature.

Luke and Leia grasped hard to each other's forearms and breathed.

"Something's not right with Daddy, and you know it," Leia said, pulling him closer to stare into his skittish blue eyes. He was ready to run to his room and hide under the covers, but Leia wouldn't let this go. Not when everything in her screamed that something was wrong, deeply wrong.

Before he could reply, they both heard his ship land in the hangar. They were out of time. "Come on," Luke urged, pulling Leia down the hall.

"No, Luke, we can't," Leia argued, as she struggled against him, dragging her feet to stay.

"Leia, please, not when he's like this. You don't know what he's like…"

Leia took offense and flashed her teeth. She tried to pry Luke's hand off of hers. "And you do?!"

"Yes I do - now let's go!"

Luke fixed his hold on her and tugged her to her bedroom door, pushing her in the femininely appointed bedroom that was a mixed palette of lilacs, white and silver, just as the main entrance blast doors hissed open. He could feel the cold rage wafting through the air again. Leia grabbed the collar of his shirt before he could make a break for his own room, and pulled him deeper into hers. She closed her door and they both crouched against it, pressing their ears to listen…

A chill ran down their spines as the stomp of determined boots entered their home, pausing to look around an undoubtedly messy living room and frozen Threepio. There was a grunt of disgust before the heavy boots started again, marching down the hall.

The twins closed their eyes. It felt like time slowed as the boots grew near, pausing again by their doors. Once more they felt a reluctant and fast brush of the Force, checking that they were near for only a split second before retreating again.

Leia tried to grasp her father's Force presence, but it was like trying to clench a fist around the wind. His boots started again, no more pauses needed, as he made it to his chambers, the blast doors opening before he arrived and closing with a click behind him.

Locked… Damn it, Leia sighed, her chest falling, as her worried thoughts swelled. What could be so wrong? Was it the Emperor? Had something happened? Did he hurt Daddy?... Or was he just irritable?... Did they do something wrong? He couldn't be this mad about bedtime...or Threepio…could he?

"Leia," Luke snapped her out of it. He was still crouched beside her, his nervous blue eyes scanning her face. "I have to go to my room, just in case he checks…"

"No," she replied, her determination locking into place.

Luke's eyes widened as he saw her forming a plan. "No…" he tried to plead. "Whatever it is, just no! It's been a long night and I'm sure we'll talk about it tomorrow anyway."

She stood up and offered a hand to help Luke rise as well. He bit his lip but accepted. She leaned back on her heels to pull him up, and then she opened the door to the hall. She went first, leading him on her tip toes toward their father's door. Once Luke realized, he silently began to thrash and yank the other way, towards his room.

Leia, you're not just playing with fire, okay?! You're playing with a nuclear reactor! Dad's in full Sith-mode. Don't be dumb!

Come on, don't be a scaredy-lothcat.

I don't think worrying about a *literal Sith*counts…!

Stop fighting me! We have to make sure he's okay. That's more important than being in trouble.

Leia…

Please, Luke! I can only do it if you help me.

Ughhh, Luke let his last protest fly through the force before he stopped fighting. Leia didn't ask for help often. He couldn't think of a time when she did that he had actually said no.

The twins approached his door, a large metal blast shield that was similar to the others in the apartment, except right now it was coated in a thin film of ice. How cold did it have to be in that room for ice to form on the door? Luke grimaced at it, but decided if this stupid plan was really happening, and apparently Leia wasn't going to change her mind, then the time for fretting was over. Luke exhaled, to see if his breath would hang in the air. It didn't, so at least that meant their father was containing his rage to his own quarters…which they were now attempting to break into… nope, brain off, please and thank you.

He placed his hands on his father's locked door, scratching gently at the frozen condensation with his fingernails. It flaked and melted and then re-froze. He gestured towards it silently, but Leia acted as if it wasn't even there. She stood beside him and placed her hands firmly, melting her prints through the frost.

Alone, they couldn't break his lock. And even together, they weren't stronger in the Force than he was. But when the joined their energies, they had learned a few small tricks to make his life as a parent just a little harder. If he had been focusing on them, they wouldn't have stood a chance, but he was distracted and clearly thought he'd been scary enough to send them to bed without further complaint. When Luke considered this, he realized their dad must have been really distracted, if he actually thought meanness would deter Leia.

Nothing deterred Leia.

She looked at her brother and almost mustered an encouraging smile for him. Her brown eyes sparkled with confidence. Luke felt awe struck. He wanted to ask her how she did that, maybe he would get to later, if he remembered.

One… two… three!