It took a moment for Padme to react to the news. She had always dreamt of Leia being her mother, but to be told that in reality... She tried to calm herself by breathing.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Padme questioned her mother, as she rose from the couch and walked a few feet away. She had her back facing Leia, who also stood but did not approach her.

"Because I had to keep you a secret," Leia started to explain.

"Why?" Padme quickly turned around, her anger starting to rise. "I thought you loved me!"

"Of course, I love you! That's the reason why I had to keep your existence a secret. Padme, if the Empire... if the Emperor knew about you, there would be nothing he would not do to get his hands on you."

"If you weren't one of the leaders in the Rebellion, Leia, then the Emperor would not care about finding me."

"If that were only true, then I would have told you everything from the beginning. But there's more."

"More? What do you mean?" Padme asked, not sure if she wanted to know. The truth that Leia was her mother was a lot for her to bear at the moment. But she knew deep in her heart she wanted to know everything that Leia had been keeping secret from her.

"Padme, when you were born, I had the doctor give you a special test. You just finished learning about it from your science instructor."

"A midichlorian test," Padme guessed correctly. A shiver went down her spine. She knew why the test was given. In history, she had learned that the test was given to people who were suspected to be Force sensitive.

"I know you are Force sensitive," Leia told her. Relief filled Padme's lungs. At last, her secret was out, and she could now exercise her Force abilities freely. "I am sorry if I ever made you feel you had to hide it."

"I thought you would reject me, thinking I was weird..." Padme uttered, a tear rolling down her face.

"Never. I'm also Force sensitive. Because of the test results, I had to keep you a secret." Leia wiped the tears away from Padme's face.

"What is my midchlorian count?"

"Padme, you shouldn't ask..."

"Leia, please! I need to know!" The girl clenched her fist. Leia knew she wouldn't stop asking, so she took a breath and said,

"Your midichlorian count is 13,500."

At first, Padme thought she heard Leia wrong. So she asked her to repeat the number. Leia repeated the number, 13,500.

Padme had to sit down after hearing this. This was a shock. She knew she was Force sensitive, but not to this extent! Although she dreaded asking the question, she had to know.

"Who has a higher midichlorian count than me?" Leia sat down next to her daughter and replied,

"There are only three people alive in the galaxy that have a higher count than you. I am one of them." Padme smiled at that news, but frowned when Leia continued.

"The other two people are Luke Skywalker and Emperor Vader. Padme, when I found out the results, I was frightened. You know what happens to Force sensitive children if the Empire finds them."

The girl nodded. Force sensitive children were either trained to be Inquisitors, enrolled in the Imperial navy, or put to death if they refused to join the Empire.

Padme was overwhelmed with all that Leia was telling her. She was mad. Mad that Leia did not trust her enough to keep these secrets.

"I know you are upset..." Leia began to say. Padme abruptly rose from the couch.

"Upset does not even begin to describe how I feel. Leia!" she snapped back. Her anger now began to surface.

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady!" Leia was frustrated. Why couldn't her daughter understand why she was in danger if her existence was known to the galaxy?

"You should have told me the truth from the beginning!"

"You would not have understood. You are old enough now to see the evil the Empire causes. Padme, if the Emperor knew about you..."

"Enough! You lied to me, all these years! I thought my parents were dead! Now you tell me I am your daughter. How do I know you are not lying to me now?"

"I'm not lying. I promise you. Please calm down. I love you."

"You have a funny way of showing it..."

"Watch your mouth, young lady! Everything that I kept secret from you was for your own protection!"

Padme was tired about hearing how Leia had to protect her. She decided to ask another question.

"I have a question. If you are my mother, then who is my father? Is he alive? Does he even know about me?" the girl asked.

"Your father's name is Han Solo," Leia confessed, smiling at the memory of her former love.

"Han Solo? The Han Solo who made the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs?" Padme gasped.

"12 parsecs," Leia replied, knowing if Han was there, he would correct Padme.

"Who cares! Han Solo is my father?" It took all of Padme's strength to not fall to her knees in shock.

"Yes, he is." Leia tried to pull her daughter in an embrace, but the young woman refused her mother's arms.

"Some father he is. Doesn't even care to visit his own daughter..." Padme said before pausing. She could hear Leia softly cry.

"Padme, when I said I had to keep you a secret, I meant that I had to keep you a secret from everyone."

Padme did not understand. What was Leia trying to say?

"So my father doesn't know about me?"

"He knew about you...:"

"What does that even mean? You're confusing me..."

"I told him you had died! I had to, to keep you and him safe."

"I can't believe this!" Padme exclaimed, her hand resting on the side of her head. "So you lied to Han, as well! Who else did you lie to Leia, besides..."

The words suddenly failed Padme. She felt a powerful Force presence, and it was heading to their home!

"Oh no! It can't be!" Padme thought to herself in terror. But the more she denied it, the stronger the Force presence was.

"Vader!" the girl cried out, her body trembling in fear.