We return now to Iriad-otherwise known as "the place BYIT's computer keeps auto-correcting."

Perhaps one day my computer will learn. But today is not that day.

This is also our first chapter with Leia as the perspective character-something I've been avoiding. Legacy characters hold a lot of weight by fans-something I think Rian Johnson learned recently. Entering their frame of mind is a lot like offering one out of the many perspectives fans have on their characters. You're going to make a lot of people happy-and a lot of people very, very angry.

But I digress. This debate can happen in another corner of the Internet. Not mine.

7. Leia I

Leia never knew her mother.

She knew of her adoptive parents, sure, but not her biological mother. Through ample time and research after the fall of the Empire, she had come across a few archives that pointed her in the right direction.

Archives that made mention of her father, Anakin Skywalker, and his furtive bride, Padme.

Padme, Leia thought to herself. What was she like?

The only things she knew about her biological mother were what others knew. At, at her age, few were left that knew of the legacy of Padme Amidala. Leia had once taken a pilgrimage to Naboo, only to discover frustration and dismay thrown to her.

Leia had the blood of the Naboo in her, but also the blood of a Skywalker. And a Skywalker destroyed Padme.

From scant details and paragraphs she managed to glean from others, Padme was a Queen and a senator. A powerful woman who knew how to whip votes in a grand hall on Coruscant.

It was all gone, now. The hall-Coruscant-her mother. But perhaps that negotiating blood still ran in her. It was the thought she carried as she walked into the hall of the Iriadian Governess.

The halls were like those she remembered as a child, when Bail Organa carried her to see the Rowe Arren's father, Jaquen. She could only recall the scant detail of what was said, but remembered these walls-formidable, blue metal that rose several stories above her. And a sole carpet that connected the entrance doors to the footsteps of the Governess' chair.

It seemed that Rowe enjoyed the life of a Queen from here. Seated on a steel throne-reigning over her Planet. Not knowing the greater dangers that rested so close by.

"Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan!" Rowe called out from her seat.

Rowe was a stark woman with sharp features and jet-black hair. It was as if she was bred from these halls and born of the blue soil. She wore on her a dark blue dress-and nearly blended into the chair. "Although from what I recall," Rowe continued, "Alderaan is no longer a planet. Which means you are no longer a Princess."

"I am General Leia Organa now," Leia responded. She remained neutral, but felt frustrated at her position. Did this woman know how much I fought to get here? She thought to herself. "Current commanding officer of the Resistance."

"The Resistance?" Rowe repeated as if a question. "So, is that a seasonal volunteer force? Do you intend to help us with our labor?"

"I must say, Governess," Leia countered. "Either you're trying to tool with me, or your aides have horribly misinformed you. Either way, I would advise you to reconsider your tone."

"You question my tone?" Rowe asked. "You? A woman who's come on her knees? Begging for help after the First Order has erased your fleet?"

"So you were tooling with me," Leia said. "Good to know."

"I do not wish to tool with you, Princess," Rowe said. "I wish to know why you've come to waste my time."

"I've come to inform you, Governess," Leia said. She would have to ignore the Governess' attempts to get under her skin. "To tell you about what you already know. The First Order is a threat to us all."

"Oh, really?" The Governess asked. "Is that how you feel? Because from our position, we haven't had to entertain a single soul from the First Order. And if we did receive word from them, we'd probably try to conduct business."

"You would work with an organization that seeks the abject rule of the entire galaxy?" Leia questioned.

"No, Organa," Rowe said. She sounded as if she were talking to a child. "I would work with an organization for the betterment of my people. I am a Governess. It is my sole desire. My assumption was that it was your desire as well. Before, that is...you lost your people."

Leia could take the taunting no further. "How dare you accuse me of failing Alderaan?" She asked. "Have you no conscience?"

"I have history, Leia," Rowe said. "I know that Alderaan was destroyed by the Galactic Empire, who was ruled by-who was it? Your father?"

"Darth Vader was no father," Leia said. She was more than angry now. She was irate. "I was held as a prisoner after being chased all the way from Scarif to Tatooine. I was held captive and drugged to tell the truth. I was forced to watch as billions were murdered in a show of intergalactic terrorism. And once I escaped, I helped orchestrate the destruction of that terrible machine and bring balance to the galaxy. What did you do during this time? Sit and cry on daddy's lap while he watched and did nothing to help the Alderaanian people! I will talk with you, child, but do not for a minute think I will let you berate me for fighting for my people!"

Silence filled the room. Rowe seemed to know exactly how to respond. But soon, she rose from her chair and crossed the room. She looked right into Leia's eyes as she approached. Due to the height difference between the two, Leia was forced to look up to Rowe. The position of inferiority.

"Then why," Rowe began, "are you seeking the help of a child?"

Leia thought of so many things to say in this moment. So many clear and decent responses to Rowe Arren. But instead, she chose to say what was right:

"Because I have to," she said to Rowe. "Because the First Order has destroyed the system I helped build. Because the First Order and its Supreme Leader corrupted my son and led him to take the life of his father. Because if we don't stop them-if we don't take advantage of what my brother did to save us on Crait, then we lose. We all lose. And I guarantee you any militia you think you have will be nothing when the First Order comes to claim what will be their right."

Leia took in a deep breath, then: "You have a choice, Governess. You suck up your pride and deal with me now, or you turn me away and wait until the First Order comes. And they won't give you a choice."

After another twenty minutes, the doors to Rowe's meeting room opened. As Leia stepped through it, she could see Poe Dameron wake up from a quick nap. He rose quickly with the other two members of Leia's party and approached to meet Leia and Rowe halfway.

Leia watched as Poe looked at her, and then to Rowe. Of course, he wanted to know was was to happen. And soon, Rowe explained to them what they had discussed in the room:

"The Resistance is allowed to stay on Iriad," The Governess said. "You will be given supplies and ammunition in order to re-arm yourselves, and we will see about the possibility of a fleet. However, you will be working alongside my men. You will respect them, and you will report your actions to them. If anyone is caught stealing more than what I am supplying to the Resistance, you will have to deal with me."

Poe looked dumbfounded. "What is this?" He asked Leia.

"This is a deal, Poe," Leia said. "And it's a better deal than you'll find anywhere else. Go back to the ship and inform the others. They'll escort you to an Iriadian hanger. That's where we'll be stationed for the time being."

"And what will you be doing?" Poe asked her.

"Handling logistics with the Governess," Leia said to Poe. She waved him off. "Don't worry about me, Captain. You have a lot to handle. I suggest you begin to do so."

Poe looked as dense as ever, but Leia wasn't going to wait any longer. She and Rowe moved together towards another room-this one, a conference room.

Leia was to discuss the supplies and resources available to the Resistance with the leaders of the Iriadian militia.

Was the deal great? Absolutely not. But it was what Leia could ask for, and she got it. She knew in her heart that trouble was not going to be very far away from them. But getting Rowe Arren on her side was a wonderful first step. After this, she could look into forming an Alliance with some of the other Outer Rim planets to re-build the Resistance. At this rate, it could be returned to its original name:

The Rebel Alliance.

As wonderful as that sounded, it wasn't the name that Leia worried about.

It was how much time they had before the First Order arrived.

It was the thought that Leia carried with her as she sat through the meetings with generals and shook hands with other men. It haunted her as she was transported to the hanger and it refused to go away, even as Poe and the other leaders reported in for what they were given.

Which, to be fair, had been generous-for now, the army would be fed and maintained in a massive hanger.

It was an impressive space. In here, Rowe explained that the Iriadians would build their massive ground movers to dig deep into the earth. These hangers also doubled, so it seemed, as shelter and supply storage for the militia's weapons. They had a few small transport vessels, a dozen or so X-Wings, and a plethora of older or decommissioned droids. Leia had R2-D2 and C-3PO working with them.

All in all, it was a start. A good enough start. And perhaps that's all that mattered.

Late in the evening (as the Resistance had shifted to the daily cycle of the new planet), Leia was greeted by Rey in her new quarters-just as she was preparing to sleep.

"I'm sorry to bother you, General," Rey said at the door.

"Leaving so soon?" Leia asked Rey. While not exactly an expert in the force, Leia knew enough to know the girl's heart. She could not stay with them.

"How did you know?" Rey asked.

Instead of explaining her feelings, Leia chose to explain in a more logical manner. "You never asked for a room," she said. "Everyone else wanted off of that bucket of bolts but you. So it looks like you were planning on keeping the Falcon."

"It's not mine to keep," Rey defended. "It's the property of the Resistance-"

"It's Chewie's now," Leia interrupted. "And he likes you too much to say no to you. But I need him here."

"It's hard to fly the Falcon alone," Rey admitted.

"Artoo's always available," Leia said. "I can attest to his skills. Luke liked that old thing very much."

"I don't mean to leave," Rey admitted. She kicked at the ground beneath her as she stood at the doorway of Leia's room. "But there's something I took from the island. From Luke. Something I need to understand about my power."

Leia thought back to many years ago. She remembered similar speeches from Luke.

"Rey, you don't have to defend yourself to me," Leia said. "You can take care of yourself. Besides, you're a Jedi. They don't tend to stick around."

"I'm not a Jedi," Rey said.

"Not yet," came Leia's prompt reply.

But Rey did not move. Leia could sense the conflict in her. Her thoughts rested on somebody. Somebody she knew.

"You spoke to my son?" Leia asked.

This caught Rey's attention. "There's conflict in Ben. I've felt it."

Leia thought back to Ben's presence during the attack by the Supremacy. "I've felt it too. I thought he was gone, but I don't know anymore."

The thought of Ben was painful for Leia. She didn't know him as the sinister Kylo Ren, or a man who would dare to kill his own father.

She knew her little Ben. She knew the child that would run around the Falcon and give chase to Chewie. She knew the boy who tried too hard to lift pens and pencils with the Force-only for Leia to do it for him.

She knew the boy who came home to his mother and told her that he loved him.

The thoughts were painful-too painful. As a tear rolled down her face, Leia stopped thinking of them. "I shouldn't ask you this," she said, her voice breaking, "because it's selfish. But I have to be selfish now. If you see Ben, if you talk to him..."

She couldn't finish the thought. Perhaps Rey had sensed this, as she spoke next: "If I can save Ben, if there's a chance for him, I'll take it. You have my word."

"Thank you, Rey," Leia said. She stepped forward and hugged the girl. "Now get out of here. Before Chewie realizes you stole his ship."

Rey nodded and smiled. "I won't let you down, Leia. I promise."

And with that, the girl was gone.

Leia envied her as she walked her leave. She has the spirit of a young woman, she thought to herself.

She longed for that spirit. Instead of the insight and wisdom of the older woman she was.

Sometimes, she lacked the hope and the sparks she once did. Sometimes, even she gave up. But it was people like Luke who would help her up. Today it was somebody like Rey.

"Luke," Leia called out. "If you're there, if you can hear me...look after her. Make sure she does better than we did."

And while she never heard Luke answer back, she felt a presence unlike one she had felt before. The same presence she felt in the bunker on Crait.

The presence of Luke Skywalker. A presence that told her that he was watching. He was listening. And that he heard her.

It wasn't much. But it was a spark of hope for her. And maybe that would be enough.

Writing for Leia was more fun than I anticipated. I might do it more often, if possible.

So we set the stage, now. We have Rey leaving Iriad in seach of answers with Artoo-we have the First Order in preparation and we have a very frustrated Finn and Poe-and we have Rose in a coma.

Fifteen thousand words in, and we've only just begun.

Until next,

-BYIT