This chapter marks the beginning of

Daughter of a Dead Woman: Spawn of the Emperor

The second part to Tess Naberrie's story.

Leia Organa struggled with restraining her hair back in a braid crown using only one hand. Her other arm still hurt from the three-day-old blaster wound. She was too agitated to hear Han walk in. A familiar pair of hands reached Leia's waist and pulled her close. She felt Han's stubble at her neck and smiled slightly.

"You need to shave," she reminded him, dropping her hair in defeat. The princess turned to face the smuggler. "Looks like Tess is going to have to help me with my hair for the next couple of weeks." Han helped her loosen the braid she had started, letting her long hair fall around her back and shoulders.

"I like when you have some of it down," Han offered. Leia scoffed at the idea of having such long hair unrestrained. She handed him a hair fastener and turned around.

"Could you just tie it back for me?"

Han gently pulled Leia's hair towards the center of the back of her head, running his fingers from the roots to ends. He tied the bundle together and then moved his hands to her shoulders tenderly. Leia let him work out the stress in her shoulders, leaning into his hands as he kneaded out the tension.

She still couldn't allow herself to take their success at Endor as the end to all of their troubles, like the others seemed to do. It didn't help that she was suddenly a Skywalker with expectations completely different from those she had growing up. And Tess had not been the same since she found out the truth about her father. Han read her thoughts.

"What's on your mind?" he asked gently. Leia sighed.

"The future of the Alliance," the princess told him. "What we're going to do now that we suddenly don't have the Empire's power looming over us—at least not as heavily. Whether Imperials are still out there. What it means to be Force-sensitive. Whether I should mourn for the death of my biological father or celebrate for the death of the man who tortured me and destroyed everything I had in a matter of seconds. Whether I should be concerned or not that Tess hasn't been acting herself since she found out about her paternity." Leia stopped her rant before she started to cry, her eyes straight ahead. "I've got quite a bit on my mind."

Han looked at the princess with pity, holding her close and planting a kiss on her forehead. He gave her a reassuring half-smile.

"Once we get this shipoff the ground, even with light-speed it will still be at least a week before we reach Coruscant," he explained. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "That's plenty of time to gather yourself, or do whatever you need to do. And really, just say the word if you want me to extend the trip, because I can do that. I love the Alliance and all but every time Mon Mothma gives one of her speeches I keep thinking she's looking at me like 'Why are you still here?'"

Leia gave Han a smile for trying.

"Thanks…" she whispered. However, the princess knew from years of experience that the thought-occupying worries she had only went away when replaced with two or three more.

Tess Naberrie felt her legs and bottom slowly lift of the cold ground of the Falcon as the Force raised her a few inches. Luke sat in front of her doing the same, having taken her hands in his so they could share their strength to heal. Both were still a bit sore from their encounter with the Emperor and Vader on the Death Star II, and Luke wanted to rejuvenate before his long trip to Tatooine in his X-Wing where he planned to do some self-training at Ben's old house.

Tess tried to have calm thoughts, but the past three days it had been quite hard to do so. Instead of letting her own thoughts go to discouraged places, she probed her brother's mind and tried to share his peacefulness. The younger of the two wondered if Luke would find her methods clever and creative, or invasive.

Luke opened one eye to peek at Tess. He frowned and let himself descend. Tess did the same—a bit less gently. She relaxed once back on the ground, leaning on her hands.

"What did I do wrong?" she questioned with exasperation.

"You just seemed distracted is all," Luke assumed. Tess just nodded. He appeared to be coddling her a bit—watching what he said to make sure it wasn't too harsh. A part of Tess wondered if he secretly feared her now that he knew who her father was. She felt suddenly violated by Luke's intrusion into her mind and feelings. "You've been having nightmares," he read.

"So what if I am?" Tess shot back, springing to her feet. In attempt to ignore her brother at least for a moment, the teenager crossed the room to Artoo and started rubbing little smudges off him. "I'm dealing with it, okay?" Tess didn't hear Luke make any attempts to approach her. Instead, she heard him walk out of the room.

"Artoo," he called. The droid beeped a goodbye to Tess and rolled out, following his master.

Tess was definitely not used to that. Usually Luke would push and push until she told him the detailed truth. Again, she worried if he thought differently of her now because of the Emperor.

Suddenly, Tess sprang to her feet and ran after her brother.

"Luke, wait!" she called, catching up to him. He turned around and eyed her curiously. "What, you think I was going to let you leave without saying goodbye?"

Luke grinned at his sister, pulling her into a hug. Tess hugged him back tightly. It made so much more sense for her to go with him and train, but that was never a verbalized option. She suspected Leia was the reason for that, but Tess didn't blame her. She herself wouldn't be able to choose between going with Luke or staying with Leia for such an extended period of time. Being away from either of them left a missing piece inside of her.

"Leia needs you right now," Luke reminded Tess, as if reading her thoughts once again. "And whether you realize it or not, you need her."

"We need you," Tess corrected, brushing away a tear.

Luke didn't have a response to that. He seemed to know the connection between the three of them was a strong one and separation was difficult, but he also knew that Leia and Tess were both struggling and he couldn't help them until he prepared himself to do so. Tess wished that didn't have to happen as far away as Tatooine.

Having left Leia to have some alone time, Han heard Chewie groan in Shriiwook from the cockpit.

"Quiet, Chewbacca, I cannot hear," Threepio scolded the Wookie. Han took the pilot seat and listened to the holonet news message that had the others so transfixed. He recognized the voice as Mon Mothma's.

"…with the destruction of the second Death Star. So far, reports of Imperials in hiding have been very few. Most planets have taken things into their own hands. We have word that at least five planets have been discovered publically executing Imperial officers and supporters who managed to escape the second Death Star before its destruction. Though this is good news for some, I can't help but doubt this was the proper course of action. Actions like this sound more like the handiwork of the Empire we once feared. The Rebel Alliance had a victory, yes, but let's not forget the kind of galaxy they were fighting for."

Han grimaced. Suddenly, Leia's doubt in the utopian outcome of the Endor victory was starting to make sense.

Leia brought a hand to her weary head just in time for her brother to see her stress. He thought it was hard before to ignore her pain that he felt to palpably, but now that she knew of their connection it seemed even stronger. The Jedi Knight knocked on the doorway.

"Can I come in?" he asked gently. As if she knew he was there the whole time, Leia waved him in as he was asking the question. She pulled her nerves together and stood to face Luke expectantly. He took a few steps closer to her. "I'm heading out."

The princess nodded, knowing this was coming. It still seemed to hurt her though.

"I just…its always hard when you leave for so long," Leia admitted in a rare moment of showing weakness. She sighed. "I guess I thought we'd have more time to…you know…talk about…"

"Our father?"

Leia grimaced. She couldn't call him that out loud yet.

"My father was Bail Organa," Leia said coldly. Luke nodded, averting her eyes. The princess changed the subject. "Is it really okay for Tess to have such a big gap in her training, though? Especially after what she just went through?"

"All I know is that I need to prepare myself better as a master," he told his sister. "So I can train her." He paused. "And…eventually you."

Leia's heartbeat stopped. The idea of becoming anything remotely close to what Darth Vader was terrified her. She wasn't like Luke—he could control his emotions like no one she'd seen. Even if she did train herself in the Force, how could she suppress the fear and anger she held inside? She listened to Luke and Tess long enough to know that those emotions lead to the Dark Side.

Sensing he had struck a nerve, Luke changed the subject.

"Tess…seemed upset," he offered. Maybe not the best topic—but of course he didn't realize that until after he said it. Fortunately, Leia welcomed the segue.

"She thinks you're afraid of her."

"I am."

Leia's mind did a double take. Her eyes snapped towards Luke.

"Did you really just say that?"

"That's why I'm going," Luke explained. "I knew Tess was special, but now that I know why, keeping her away from the Dark Side is a task even I'm not ready for."

"So you're leaving her?!" Leia fumed. "Yeah, great tactic!"

"No," Luke assured her calmly. "I need to meditate. Prepare myself for the task ahead. You might not understand, but its what I have to do."

Leia rolled her eyes and turned away. She could hear Luke take a few steps towards the door, then think better of it and move forward again.

"I…um…is there any chance I could not leave without you mad at me?" he asked. His Jedi manner seemed to disappear and little boy Luke emerged for the first time in a while.

Ever the stubborn one, Leia took a few more seconds before she faced her brother and hugged him.

"Be careful," she told Luke. She felt him give her a kiss on the forehead.

"I will."