Disclaimer: Everything belongs to George Lucas, as always.
You learn about life by the accidents you have, over and over again.-Kurt Vonnegut
Leia linked arms with Luke as they walked through the multi-colored city that was Theed. Luke loved the noisy hustle and bustle that the city always offered. Vendors lined the streets selling everything from rainbow colored clothing to food that came from planets light-years away. It was so busy people didn't even notice their famed senator walking down the cobblestone street with little more security than a single Jedi, which was why one shopper decided then would be as good a time as any to draw the attention of a certain senator and her brother. The two stopped for a minute for Leia to admire a glittering scarf in a shop window, long enough for the man to quickly brush past them and grab the small bag of credits from her pocket, taking off running as soon as he them in hand. Leia spun, feeling something amiss..
"That man," she said, pointing after the pickpocket, "he stole my credits." Though the man picked up speed, weaving through the thick mass of people, he was no match for a Jedi, who soon caught up to him, pinning the thief to the ground. The thief couldn't help but laugh as he watched the Jedi he knew well try to act tough and pry his hood off to reveal his face. Luke gasped as he met the eyes of an old friend.
"Han!" he exclaimed.
"Hey there kid, wanna get off me?" Han said, trying hard to sound exasperated. Luke got up and reached a hand out to help Han.
"I thought you were still exploring the outer rim," Luke said as he beamed at his old friend whom he hadn't seen for months.
"Yeah, well, believe it or not, you can eventually get tired of loose women and crooks," Han said seriously. Luke gave him a skeptical look, eyebrow raised before they both burst out laughing. "Ah, who am I kidding? Nah, my good old dad decided it was time I make an appearance at the dinner thing the Queen's hosting tomorrow for all the posh rich people."
"I'm surprised that Han Solo came back from an adventure at the request of his father."
"Yeah, it might've taken a few of Alderaan's best ships to convince me," Han said, smiling cheekily at Leia as she stalked over, glaring at the two men,
""Han Solo," she said, snatching the bag of credits from him and shoving it roughly into the pocket of her dress, her dark brown eyes never leaving Han's own. He could practically feel her glare burning him like the sun.
"Your highness," he said, bowing comically low and earning an eye roll from Leia.
"What are you doing here? I'm surprised the Queen lets you within a parsec of Naboo."
"Well, what can I say, you always did," Han shrugged.
"Against my better judgment."
"I missed that sweet, carefree smile of yours too much to stay away," he retorted, flashing her a lopsided grin. Her own countenance grew sharper and her arms crossed in front of her chest so tightly they appeared to be sculpted permanently as in a statue.
"There it is," he said sarcastically, cupping Leia's chin before she twitched away coldly.
"Han's here for the Queen's ball," Like explained flatly, growing tired of their bickering.
"Yes, might I ask to accompany you, milady?" Han asked, holding his arm out for her to take. If Luke hadn't known better, he would have thought Han's request was a serious one, but as Han had been a close friend of Luke's practically since he was able to speak, he was able to recognize Han's sarcasm from space. Unfortunately for Han, Leia knew him as well as Luke did and his gesture didn't slip by her either. Her jaw tightened and red lips slipped into a thin line as her gaze hardened.
"I would rather date a Tusken Raider than spend a night with you," she hissed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've run out of time to exchange anymore pleasantries and must meet with the Queen." She turned and walked off in a huff, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Han started laughing as soon as she was out of earshot, clapping his hands together in comedy Luke did not see in the situation.
"Your sister is something else," Han choked as he attempted to regain control of himself.
"Why do you always have to egg her on like that?" Luke asked impatiently. Whenever Han was rude to Leia she complained about him to Luke for days; something he was not in the mood for.
"Hey, if she didn't make it so damn easy."
"Okay, okay," Luke interrupted, raising his hand to silence Han.
"Wait," Han said, looking at Luke almost suspiciously. "Where's that Jedi side-tail thing you have to wear?" Luke stared at him for a minute, utterly befuddled as to what Han could be referring to, when it dawned on him.
"Oh," Luke said, his hand flying unconsciously to the place his braid used to sit. "My Padawan braid? I'm a Knight now." Han started laughing again, clapping Luke on the shoulder.
"A Jedi Knight? I'm gone for a few months and everybody gets delusions of grandeur, even your dad apparently. Seriously, though, congratulations," he said sincerely. "Bet your dad's happy."
"Yeah, well, you know, about as happy as my dad gets," Luke half-joked.
As Leia stormed through the cobblestone street that led to the palace, her head down and high-heeled shoes clicking violently on the ground, she couldn't help but to slow and look up as she approached a tall statue so familiar she could sculpt a duplicate from memory. The statue of her mother, erected a year after her death, stood on a pedestal in the middle of a small, flower-filled pond. There was a wooden walkway that led up to it so visitors could get a better look at the plaque engraved with the words: Padme Amidala Skywalker
Naboo Senator and Queen
Leia ran her finger lightly above the words as she gazed up at her mother's kind and beautiful face. She never really believed people when they said she and her mother shared a resemblance. Not really. Sure, they had the same color hair and eyes, the same nose; a similar face shape, but in Leia's opinion that was it. She considered her mother far more beautiful than she could ever dream of being. Far kinder and wiser. A much better queen than she had been, a better senator. Though, perhaps in death all of her good characteristics became magnified and morphed into something far greater than ever in life.
Leia's hand absently reached up to the necklace she had been wearing since her father gave it to her. However exaggerated many stories about her mother had been, Leia was certain she was a great woman. A great woman she should have known better. She felt the familiar sting in her throat as the back of her eyes started to ache. She was rarely saddened now by her death-she was only a toddler when it happened. No, what made her sad was when she thought of all she would and had missed without a mother. Silly tings Leia never really bothered herself with; boys and shopping, but also things that only a mother could give like advice and encouragement.
Leia's thoughts were interrupted as she felt someone walking up behind her through the Force. Probably Han coming to laugh at her. She quickly wiped away the wetness on her cheeks. Gathering herself up, she whipped around and jumped to find a man standing directly behind her, apparently admiring the statue as she had been. She hadn't heard him walk down the wooden walkway, only felt that someone was there, not that someone was close. She instinctively took a large step back. She had no weapon, but why did she worry about that? He was just a man, it didn't mean he was automatically going to attack her. Still, she felt very vulnerable and alone. He looked down at her as she took another tiny, uncomfortable step back.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said. His tone was cool-not that of one who was sincerely apologizing. She looked up at him for the first time and found herself slightly taken aback again, not by his presence but by his appearance. He was perhaps the most handsome man she had ever seen. His platinum blonde hair was short and combed neatly, slicked back against his head. His jaw was firm to accompany his chiseled cheeks and thin lips. The eyes were what struck her. His pale skin almost had a supernatural glow that made his bright blue eyes stand out even more, like bright blue lights shining at her. They were so sharp they seemed to be x-raying Leia. It all together created a very pleasing-if slightly creepy-effect. He was dressed impeccably in all black, except for a white shirt peeking out around his neck and under his black overcoat. His hands were tucked into his pockets of his pants, which she recognized as extremely expensive material, and through that she deduced he was someone wealthy. Perhaps a businessman or politician's son. He looked about her age but had the air of someone far older and more experienced.
"She's quite beautiful. I often enjoy visiting here when I come to Naboo. Do you share my same fascination?" the man asked airily, staring at the statue as if he wasn't even speaking to Leia.
"She was my mother," Leia said slowly. He looked at her for a minute, his expression unchanging, before he said, "You look quite like her. Is it then that I should assume you're Leia Skywalker, senator from Naboo?" Leia was beginning to notice his accent, which was like Obi-Wan's; clipped and slightly pompous, not one usually found around Naboo.
"I am," she said, straightening up to her full height. He smirked slightly, an expression that made Leia's heart beat faster. She felt warm, happy for no apparent reason and found herself smiling too.
"My name is Alrick. Alrick Auservelte," he said, extending his hand. Leia took it, but instead of shaking it he brought it to his face and brush his lips against it, holding her hand for a minute before letting it fall back down against her side. Leia could feel her face getting hot as the blood rushed to her cheeks. She was no stranger to men flirting with her, but somehow he was different. Somehow he made her feel nervous, a feat achieved by hardly anyone. She suddenly felt the very conscious of the plain white dress she was wearing and the little makeup she had applied that morning. She was, for the first time in her life, completely at a loss for words.
"Why uh…why are you here in Naboo?" she finally managed, stumbling over the words.
"I came for the ball the Queen is holding," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. He hardly even blinked. "I can assume you'll be in attendance as well?"
"Well, yes. Who…" she trailed off, unsure how to phrase her question politely.
"Who am I that I was invited to the Queen's ball?" he asked smoothly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'm the son of King Auservelte, from Aradia."
"Oh," she said, attempting to mask her disappointment. Unable to look him in the face anymore, she looked down at her shoes. His father had been one of her greatest opponents since she became senator. Though he was not officially a senator, he completely controlled his planet's senator and made it very clear he thought little of Leia's ideals. However, he was still a very important man and a good relationship with Aradia could mean many things for Naboo; no doubt why he was invited to the ball. She finally dared a look back up at Alrick and to her surprise found him smiling a tiny smile.
"I hope I don't lose points for who my father is," he said wryly.
"No I just you…you don't seem much like him," she stuttered.
"I guess that's a good thing coming from you," he laughed. The conversation lapsed for a moment, Leia having no response to his last comment, until a small beep invaded the moment.
"It's me," he said as they both groped at their pockets. He pulled out a small comlink but didn't answer. "My father, to tell me to get back to our ship. It was truly wonderful talking to you, senator Skywalker."
"Leia," she peeped, taken aback by the use of her formal title after the way he had been looking at her.
"Leia," he echoed. His voice was a near whisper, as if it was a secret word only she would understand. He picked up her hand and rushed his lips against the back of it again, this time holding on for a moment as he began to back away. "I'm glad to have met you, Leia. I'll see you at the ball." Her heart fluttered faster as he gently dropped her hand.
"I'm glad I met you too," she said, finally regaining the confidence that seemed to escape her for the first time in her life. And when she really could have used it. Cursing her bad timing, she watched as he stopped backpedaling and turned around with a wink. She turned an even brighter shade of red than before. Stupid. Why, of all times, did the banter and confidence that usually came so easily to her completely leave? He certainly wasn't the first attractive man she had ever had a conversation with. Why did he make her forget every word in Galactic Standard just by looking at her? Why did that crooked smile of his make her heartbeat so fast it was in danger of bursting out of her chest? And why, why did he have to be King Auservelte's son?
Anakin leaned his head on his hand as he tried to pay attention to the Toydarian Jedi addressing the Council. He felt slightly guilty that he was hardly paying any attention to the man, but he was so tired. Lately, sleep had not been appealing to him. Sleep meant dreams, dreams meant nightmares. Even innocent dreams were too often about Padme, a happy enough subject until he had to wake up and again and face reality without her. Often he feared he would forget he sound of her voice, they way she smelled, the habits she had. But after over fifteen years, none of that had left him, why should it now? His dreams had gotten worse as his children got older, depended on him less.
"Master Skywalker?" Obi-Wan said, pulling Anakin out of his reverie. Anakin cleared his throat slightly as he lifted his head to see that everyone in the room was staring at him-a rather unnerving thing to see when pulled out of a daydream.
"Do you have anything to add?" Obi-Wan asked pressingly, understanding the confused look on his former Padawan's face.
"No. Everything sounds fine. Is that all?" No one said anything, as was often the case at the end of council meetings. He smiled slightly, "Well, great. Dismissed." The Jedi Master's stood and filed out of the room, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Anakin sunk his head into his hands and rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn. He noticed drearily that the chair to his right was still occupied.
"You're exhausted," Obi-Wan observed aloud, a habit that always proved rather irksome to Anakin, especially when he was right.
"I'm fine," Anakin replied stiffly, leaning back in his large chair. He heard Obi-Wan's drawn out sigh at this vaguest of responses.
"Is it Wilhelm? He told me about the fight you two had."
"It can't be considered a fight if only one person is involved."
"Alright, he told me about Padme's holomessage and how he had little interest in watching it and decided to share his disinterest with you."
"Sounds about right," Anakin mumbled, examining a small speck on his armrest.
"Can't have made you very happy."
"Lots of things don't make me very happy. For example, this mark on my armrest isn't making me very happy. But life goes on. Will can do what he wants. If he wants nothing to do with her, that's his decision." Obi-Won was quiet for a moment. Anakin could practically hear his mind whirring, searching for something to say.
"What is it, fifteen years next week?" he asked quietly, his eyes flicking to Anakin's face to gauge his reaction to the question. Anakin's throat suddenly felt quite dry. He didn't want to speak for fear that his voice would crack and betray him, so he gave to slightest of nods. Obi-Wan accepted this gesture without another word, allowing Anakin to regain his composure.
"It would have been our anniversary last month," Anakin said, his voice steady but barely above a whisper. "Twenty years."
"A milestone. Why didn't you say anything?" Anakin shook his head, "She's been gone for fifteen years. I'm a Jedi, I shouldn't still dwell on this," he said flatly. Obi-Wan did not miss the stale anger that edged his friend's voice, the tone that was always there when he felt he wasn't being an ideal Jedi.
"Anakin, don't be ridiculous. You were her husband, you loved her. You are reminded of her everyday through her children. Jedi should not forget the dead, they should-"
"Celebrate them," Anakin interrupted. "I know." Anakin looked at the prematurely lined face, the white hair and beard. While still a strong Jedi, he looked like a much older man than he really was. Anakin on the other hand looked much younger than his forty plus years. He wondered why it should be that way, why he who had faced so much pain should still have few lines on his face, dark blonde hair, still look around ten years younger. He didn't feel young, though, he felt like a man who had lived a whole lifetime and still unfortunately had much more to go.
"Are out planning on going to the ball tonight?" Anakin asked, decided to fill the now drawn out silence. Obi-Wan laughed, "You know better than anyone that I have no desire to participate in such political activities. You're the Jedi poster boy." Anakin rolled his eyes, "I'm hardly young enough to still be considered that. I think Wilhelm quite enjoys the idea that he holds that title."
"He does at that. Speaking of Wilhelm, I have to discuss his mission with him."
"Alright, will you tell him to please come home afterwards? I need a word with him."
"So, that's about it. Standard procedure, I know you know what to do. Any questions?" Obi-Wan asked as he concluded his brief of Wilhelm's forthcoming mission. Wilhelm said nothing, only stared blankly at the wall, his mouth slightly agape.
"Wilhelm," Obi-Wan said coolly. He sighed as he still did not answer and put two fingers in his mouth, whistling like a siren. Wilhelm jumped, actually physically rose into the air for a second, looking around wildly for the source of the noise. He smiled sheepishly as he realized that it was just Obi-Wan.
"I'm sorry master. Lost concentration for a minute," he said insincerely. Obi-Wan shook his head in frustration, "Did you listen to any of that?"
"Come on master, you said yourself I know what to do."
"You are too sure of yourself, my very young apprentice," Obi-Wan said reproachfully. Wilhelm gave an exasperated sigh, his shoulders sagging dramatically. "I'm deeply sorry, master. Would you like to explain the mission to me again?" he asked, his apology sounding no more sincere than before.
"No, no. I have places to be as well, believe it or not. Oh and your father would like you to come right home."
"No doubt to look for an apology," Wilhelm said, sharpness creeping into the usually good-natured voice.
"I wouldn't be so sure. You and your father are more alike than you think, he probably understands your opinion." Wilhelm gave a mirthless laugh, "Look, I love my dad and most of the time he's cool, but I can tell you for one-hundred percent sure that we are basically nothing alike." Obi-Wan smiled with the corners of his mouth, "Keep in mind, Will, I trained your father since he was nine. I know both him and you quite well. When he was your age he was so much like you. Talented, certainly, but headstrong, too sure of himself, at times arrogant, frustrated, it goes on."
"I'll keep it in mind. Would you care if I left tonight for Tatooine? It's a kind of interesting area, I wouldn't mind looking around."
"I see no problem in that. You'll have to ask your father. I'm surprised, I thought you would be eager to attend the ball."
"Yeah, well, I don't know. Guess I'm just not in the mood for rich people and politicians." It wasn't a lie. He didn't really know why he didn't want to go to the ball. He was usually up for anything that would involve flirting with women, but not today. He simply had no desire to go through with it.
Anakin sighed as he was pulled from his meditative state. A dull force signature was approaching, and whomever it was wanted to speak with him. He rose from the white carpet he had been sitting on for the past hour, stretching his sore legs. He reached the front door quickly, mildly amused at the surprised look on his sister-in-law's face as the door slid open before she had a chance to knock, her hand frozen in mid air.
"Sola," he said cheerfully.
"How many times have I asked you not to do that?" she asked reproachfully, smiling nonetheless. "Not all of us are paranoid enough to wait by the door at all hours."
"Shut up," he laughed, pulling her into a hug. "It's good to see you. How's Pooja gotten settled?" Pooja, Sola's daughter, had just gotten married and-much to Sola's dismay-moved to Coruscant.
"She's doing great. And hey, her apartment is in the same building as Leia's."
"Leia will be excited to hear that, she hardly has any friends on Coruscant." Sola nodded slightly, sliding her lips against each other absently.
"What?" Anakin asked, a little self-conscious from the way she was looking at him.
"You okay?" she asked. Anakin sighed, drumming his fingers against the table, "I told them about Padme's holo today."
"Wow," she said simply. She touched his arm gently, apparently at an uncharacteristic loss for words. "It's funny, it never stopped hurting for me either."
"You mean her death? I wouldn't exactly call it funny."
"You know that's not what I meant," she said quietly. "People just usually stop feeling this awful about the death of a close family member by now."
"Well, it definitely feels a lot better than when she died." Anakin walked to the window, apparently extremely interested in a bird that had landed on a branch not far from it.
"But not by much," Sola added. Anakin glanced at her darkly before returning to the bird, which seemed to be building a nest.
"No. Not by much." He crossed his arms and then tapped on the window hard, startling the bird so it flew away. He turned around and suddenly smiled, eyes sparkling, "You staying for dinner?" Sola rolled her eyes. She was not falling for it.
"Anakin."
"What?" he asked defensively. "What more can I say?"
"Anakin, this isn't anything new. Come on, I can barely talk about her with anyone except you."
"Why are people so hung up on this today?" Anakin sighed. "Wilhelm wont even acknowledge her." Sola curled her lips in, eyebrows raised slightly. Anakin knew this look. It bitterly reminded him of Padme, as did most things about her sister and even Leia. She always flashed him this look when he said something particularly controversial to her. He knew that Sola's reasons for this look were the same, so he tried to keep the heat of frustration from surging into his tone, "What, you don't agree?"
"No it's just…" she said slowly, her eyes darting around as if searching the room for the right words. "Anakin, you yourself can barely talk about her. How do you expect them to?"
"I talk about her," he said defensively.
"Really?" She smirked, not unkind enough to actually laugh though she felt like it. "Tell me the last time you told a story about her." Anakin opened his mouth, though he could think of no retort. To his relief, the front door slid open behind Sola before he could answer.
"Aunt Sola," Leia sang, kissing her on the check. Anakin smiled as he watched them. Sola had been the closest thing to a mother they had, even though she had children of her own she had to care for. Sometimes Anakin got the feeling-from small comments or gestures-that Sola's husband Darred was as paranoid of Anakin as he himself had once been of other men around Padme. But it wasn't like that, not at all. Even if Sola had the smallest of feelings for him, which he thoroughly doubted, Anakin didn't return any. His attention hadn't turned to another woman since Padme died, preferring the traditional role of a single Jedi. He gratefully accepted Sola's help, though. He was less than prepared to raise three small children alone, especially while trying to carry on with his normal duties as a Jedi. He wasn't around much, but not because he was too busy. He never admitted it, hardly could admit it to himself, but right after she died, he didn't want to be reminded of her. Seeing Wilhelm's curly brown hair or Leia's eyes awoke something a big part of him wanted to forget. What would Padme have said? He hated himself for that. At least he eventually got over it after a year or so.
"What's gotten into you, Leia?" Sola asked, pulling Anakin back into the conversation. Leia's red face made him even more interested.
"What do you mean?" She asked evasively. "Oh Aunt Sola, I forgot to say that I loved your dress at the wedding."
"Thank you, but you will not get out of this. What's his name?" Sola asked excitedly, following Leia closely as she fled to the kitchen. Anakin followed as well, his interest sparked.
"He's no one. Just a man I ran into."
"Ohh, a man," Sola teased, winking at Anakin whose face was sour.
"What's his name, Leia?" he asked sharply. Leia had never really dated, never really expressed an interest in it. So Anakin was not used to feeling overprotective of his daughter, and definitely not used to feeling the need to rip this boys head off.
"Dad," she said exasperatedly.
"Leia," he said with equal exasperation.
"We were just talking. It's Alrick Auservelte." Anakin raised his eyebrows and even Sola couldn't keep the smile on her face.
"The son of King Auservelte?" he asked quietly.
"I can talk to whomever I want," Leia said defensively, losing her calm demeanor. "Besides, I'm eighteen and a Galactic Senator. Even if I did more than talk to him, which I certainly didn't, I'd be able to take care of myself."
"Okay, okay," Sola said soothingly, holding her hands up to stop Leia and Anakin's budding argument. "We'll not even discuss it. I'm glad you made a new friend. Now, your father tells me that your mom left you her clothes. Let's pick an outfit out for the ball tonight," Sola said, touching Leia gently on the shoulder. Leia crossed her arms and bit her bottom lip, wrestling with her thoughts. She eventually nodded slightly and followed her aunt up the stairs.
Anakin watched her go absently, staring blankly at the staircase though there was no one on it. Sola was right, right about everything. Padme would have been ashamed. He was ashamed of himself. He could barely talk about her, all for selfish reasons.
He sighed and put his hands over his face as he heard the front door swish open again and the telltale signs of an angry Wilhelm.
"Hey. Kenobi told me you wanted a word," Wilhelm said coldly, his blue eyes as sharp and narrow as a bird of prey, stalking its next meal.
"Yeah. Yeah, I do. Kid, look. I'm sorry about earlier. I get it, and I know that…well that I haven't always been a wealth of information about her. For that I'm sorry. Maybe, though, it would help you to watch it. Up to you, I can't tell you what to do. I can tell you, though, that if I had found that my mother left something like this, I'm sure it would have helped with closure, or at least made me understand a little more."
"It's not that I don't care, it's just that watching it sounds awful. I don't know what she could possibly say that wouldn't make me feel worse than I do now when I think about her." Anakin looked at him sadly for a moment and tried not to show the disappointment he felt. Tried not to think about how Padme would feel. Tried not to think about the life that could have been, the life he had pictured.
"That's fine," he finally said, attempting to sound like he believed himself.
"Thanks dad. Hey, let's talk about something else. I think I'm going to leave for that mission on Tatooine tonight, if it's all the same to you. Anakin shrugged, "I don't have a problem with it, but I thought you wanted to go to the ball."
"Eh, stuffy rich people and crappy food. Not to mention, this is that awful time of year when it's actually cold and women feel the need to cover up. I wont be missing much," Wilhelm said, his crooked smile making it impossible for Anakin to stay angry.
"I…you're too much like me," he laughed, shaking his head. "You leaving now?"
"Looks that way, I'll call you when I land. Hey, keep Leia away from that asshole Alrick Auservelte, I saw them making out today by mom's garden." Anakin's face darkened for a second before he realized that Wilhelm was kidding.
"Lighten up, dad. Be seeing you," he said, striding out of the room.
"Was this her wedding dress?" Leia asked, holding the lacy white gown up. Sola gave a thoughtful smile as she traced the flimsy material with her fingers, "She never showed me it. Quite beautiful, very Padme." The once pristine dress was now yellowing with age, the seams splitting in places. This was the one dress that looked anything but brand new; Leia couldn't help but wonder why. The other dresses had been worn much more than this one's first and only debut, but they hardly showed any age.
"Look at this one," Sola said, pulling Leia from this small puzzlement as she held up a yellow gown. It reminded her of flowers she had collected as a little girl from the meadow by their house. She would string them together to make necklaces, which she gave to her father and Luke to wear-the latter ripping it off as soon as she had it properly tied behind his neck, to her horror. Han had brought her those same flowers once, too, when she was elected queen. It made her melt; the thirteen year old version of herself delighted at the thought that a man, especially a man like Han Solo, could ever be interested in her. She bit her cheek, the embarrassment still bitter at the thought. How foolish she was, to think that he was doing it out of anything but courtesy. She had kept them in a vase until they wilted and her handmaidens begged her to throw them out, which she eventually of course did (much to her regret at the time). She was an idiot when it came to men. Stupid to think that she had a chance with Alrick. The fact that she had even thought of him in that way was pathetic. She had just met the man, for Force sake.
But still, as she rifled through her mother's old possessions, imagining the woman Padme was, she could not push Alrick out of her head. His piercing eyes made the intense gaze he gave her a permanent stamp in her memory, Aastamp that years of education and political prowess could not force loose.
Leia sat delicately next to Luke, taking a tiny sip of water from the glittering glass by her plate. The decorations were impeccable as always, deep red tablecloths providing a rich backdrop for the reflective silver plates and utensils. The ballroom was large and beautiful, filled with people dressed in outfits as bright and shiny as the stars themselves. She saw many people she knew-politicians mostly, a few celebrities and noted members of the Naboo elite she really had no interest in talking to. But she didn't see him. He said he would be here, didn't he? Her heart sank to her stomach. He wasn't here. Wasn't he the whole reason she had worn this ridiculous outfit, one far more revealing than anything she would even consider wearing before? She jumped so violently when she felt a hand on her shoulder that her water glass would have gone flying across the table if it weren't for Luke stopping it with the Force.
"Easy, your majesty," Han said, giving her a crooked smile. His face grew serious as she remained stone cold, uninterested in whatever he wanted to say to her.
"Right...well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You…you wanna dance?" Leia sighed and took his hand, "I suppose." She had no interest in sitting alone at the table with nothing better to do than think about what a complete idiot she was, perhaps Han could be a distraction. He lightly placed his hand on her hip as she moved hers to his shoulder.
"You look nice," Han said, smiling as he looked down at her. Leia scowled, "You don't need to make fun of me." He laughed, making Leia's scowl deepen.
"Leia, not everything I say to you is an insult," Han said. "In fact," he started, and Leia couldn't help but notice that his lips had sunk closer to hers, the hand on her waist pressing her a little tighter to his tall frame. "I never joke about a woman's beauty." All comebacks fizzled out of her brain as she watched his lips dip closer and closer to hers. A split second before they would have met, Han pulled back, looking mutinous.
"Excuse me, may I cut in?" Alrick asked.
"Alrick," Leia exclaimed, pulling away from Han. If she hadn't been so busy beaming at Alrick, she would have noticed Han's hand clenching to a fist and slowly falling to his side, playful smile gone.
"You don't mind, do you Han?" Leia asked as she took Alrick's hand.
"No, 'course not," he mumbled before forcing the strong and arrogant voice that usually belonged to him. "I mean, lots of girls here to dance with. Ones who I haven't seen in diapers or crying because her brother was being mean. See ya later." He flashed them both a cold look and turned on his heels, hands shoved in his pockets.
"So, diapers?" Alrick laughed as he led Leia to the shiny floor, closer to the other dancers.
"Han's known me since I was practically born. He's…he's like my brother in a way," Leia said, flustered at having to explain their rather unique relationship.
"So I guess I wont have to order his death," Alrick said, eyebrows raised seriously before cracking a smile.
"I promise, you have nothing to worry about."
"So, I take it the Jedi sitting at that table, glaring at me is the famous Anakin Skywalker?"
"Oh Sith," Leia said, glancing at her father who had indeed fixed a menacing look in Alrick's direction.
"Unfortunately, my father's social skills seem to be a little lacking this evening."
"Let's go over, I would love to meet him," Alrick said, a bit too eager for the subject matter. But Leia took little notice of this, instead focusing on how to get out of it.
"I don't know, my dad gets a bit odd with things like this." Alrick smiled sheepishly at the floor, his blue eyes snapping to Leia's. "Things like what?" he whispered. Leia was suddenly aware of how close they were. How he smelled faintly of grass and rain. How her father was staring at them.
"You mean your boyfriends?" he pressed after she offered no response.
"I think we're hardly at that point," she said dismissively, her cheeks turning pink.
"Seems to be headed that way though, doesn't it?"
"You're overconfident."
"But not wrong."
"Not entirely," she admitted after a pause in which Alrick took her hands in his, kissing them softly.
"So introduce me."
"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes as she took his hand and led him over to her father, who had assumed the look appropriate for contact with a known murderer who had just finished up robbing him.
"Having a good time, dad?" She asked sweetly, bending to kiss him on the check. "Oh, this is Alrick Auservelte."
"Evening, sir," Alrick said, shaking the hand Anakin begrudgingly offered.
"Likewise," Anakin said venomously. He stood suddenly, and Leia couldn't help but to roll her eyes. It was to show his height, and no doubt power, which was significantly greater than Alrick's.
"Leia's told me so much about you," he said, confidence fading a little as he struggled to think of something to say.
"Yes, well, unfortunately Leia's told me little about you." Leia noticed, probably only because she had seen him do it before, that Anakin had pushed his cloak back slightly to display the glimmering hilt of his lightsaber. But despite this, Alrick kept smiling his sparkly smile.
"Well, I don't flatter myself into thinking that Leia goes around talking about me."
"We've only just met, Dad," she interjected.
"So it seems," Anakin said quietly. "Excuse me. I need to make a call." He stood and reluctantly shook Alrick's hand again.
The pair watched silently as he waved through the crowd until completely out of sight.
"Well," Alrick said, sparkly teeth showing and arm snaking around Leia's waist. "I thought that went well."
"Really? Which conversation were you in?" Leia asked, pausing for a moment to take a sip of whatever her father had been drinking, which burned on it's way down and made her eyes water. "Force, that's strong. Anyway, don't worry about it. I didn't really expect anything else. He's never a fan of any men in my life. Would you like to go for a walk in the garden? It's beautiful."
"Absolutely," he said, offering his arm to her.
"Leia," Luke called. She spun around to see her twin brother stalking up to her, his lips sculpted in a scowl so deep it was marring his face with lines. "What did you do to Han? He's being such an ass right now."
"Well, I'm sure alcohol is playing a large role."
"He can't stop talking about you. What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything to him," Leia said defensively, pressing closer to Alrick.
"Right," Luke said curtly, eyeing Alrick suspiciously.
"I'm Alrick," he said, shaking Luke's hand.
"How rude of me. Luke, this is my friend Alrick and Alrick, this is my brother Luke," she said, raising her eyebrows threateningly at her brother, whose own expression had grown even more sour.
"Pleasure. I can see the resemblance."
"Yeah. Well, I need to talk to dad. Any idea where he is?" Luke asked.
"He went that way," Leia pointed, rolling her eyes as Luke set off in the gestured direction without another word.
"Cheery family," Alrick said, his tone as cheerful as her family was not.
"They're just moody. So, about that walk…"
"Let's go."
"Oh there you are," Luke said as he walked into a huge room filled from floor to ceiling with holobooks. His father was looking out a window, apparently deep in thought, as he showed no indication that he noticed or heard Luke.
"Why aren't you out there?" Luke pressed, standing beside him.
"You know, this was your mom's favorite room when she was queen, but she hated this window," Anakin said absently. "You know why that is?" Luke shook his head. He inched a little closer to the window and looked down, trying to follow his dad's already fixed gaze. There was nothing really interesting there. It overlooked a small and nicely manicured garden, speckled with statues and a small pond. It was nothing not to like, for Luke it seemed pretty charming, but his mother was mostly a mystery to him, her likes and dislikes even more so.
"She didn't like the type of fish that swam in the pond. Can you believe that? The color of the fish bothered her from all the way up here. So even though she loved this room, loved the books, loved the desk and chair, even loved the view besides the fish, she never went in here." To Luke, it sounded like some extreme level of obsessive compulsive disorder rivaled only by Leia, but who was he to judge?
"Why didn't she just replace the fish with another kind?" Anakin laughed and shook his head, slapping his hand on Luke's shoulder.
"She couldn't stand the thought of them getting taken out of their home or killed. So the fish stayed." Luke nodded, not sure how to respond. Anakin turned away from the window to sit in the cushioned chair in front of the desk, raising a hand to gesture that Luke sit across from him. Luke laughed but obliged, sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk. Anakin studied him for a moment, making Luke feel a bit like he was on trial. Or being x-rayed. Or probably both, as his father had that sharp look like something extremely important was about to be talked about.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked. Luke blinked. Nothing was wrong. In fact, he sensed that his father was the one who was upset and had something obviously more important to say than he could come up with.
"Well, nothing I guess," Luke replied. Anakin smiled slightly, making Luke feel all the more interrogated.
"Come on. Anything at all. Could be about Kai, being a Jedi, your swoop bike or…" he paused to lean forward, x-raying eyes even closer to Luke's. "Your sister's new boyfriend." Ah, the point, Luke thought.
"Well, I don't think they're officially dating," he said evasively, leaning back in his chair to put his feet on the desk so he didn't have to look directly into the threatening blue.
"You're bothered by him too," Anakin said, pushing Luke's feet off the desk.
"I don't generally enjoy snobby members of corrupt royalty, no."
"Yes, but besides that. Tell me what you really think," Anakin said. Luke was getting nervous. It took a lot to make his father feel threatened; to sternly talk to him like this about what he was making sound like a very real problem.
"I think that Leia doesn't act like Leia around him. She's usually combative, proud, strong. She doesn't seem that way with him." Anakin shrugged, "Love changes people."
"She is not in love with him," Luke scoffed. "They barely know each other. Besides, he's not Leia's type." For reasons completely unbeknownst to Luke, as before this was shaping up to be a rather serious talk, Anakin smiled widely.
"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.
"I mean she's not one for those men who…who've had everything handed to them. You know what I mean. Leia's smart, she works hard, she needs someone who's the same. But still someone who can challenge her."
"Someone like Han," Anakin finished, his smile shrinking slightly.
"I thought we were talking about Alrick."
"We are. And I'm just glad you're seeing this too," he said calmly, picking up the datapad in front of him.
"So what are we going to do?" Luke asked impatiently. Anakin shrugged, eyes still glued to the datapad, "You think we should do something?" Luke tried to resist grabbing the datapad and throwing it against the wall. Anakin was doing this on purpose, it was some Jedi test, he could just tell. But that didn't make it any less infuriating. He starts this conversation then acts like it wasn't supposed to go anywhere and he had no patience for it.
"Dad, come on, why else would you start talking about this? We can't just let her marry him!" Anakin placed the datapad back on the table and shrugged again, making Luke's face feel like it was just doused in boiling water. "Seriously."
"Okay, okay, you're right," Anakin finally conceded. "I suspect that if his father doesn't already have any influence in his dating her, he will soon and it wont be good. I remember stories like this from Padme, a few of which I saw personally."
"So then what do we do?"
"We're not doing anything," Anakin said, getting up and starting to the door.
"What do you mean?" Luke asked angrily.
"I mean that I can't get involved in sabotaging Leia's relationship. I'm her dad. I can disapprove of him all I want, but I can't actively break them up."
"Who says?"
"Luke," Anakin hissed, losing his temper himself. "I just can't."
"Fine, then what can I do?"
"That's for you to determine Luke, not me," he replied, pushing the door open.
"That's crap and you know it," Luke yelled, standing up so quickly the chair toppled over. Anakin didn't turn around, but he didn't leave either. "How do you expect me to do anything right when you don't even explain to me what I have to do?"
"Luke, why do you refuse to trust yourself? It has always been the one thing that's held you back."
"Held me back from what, dad? From being you? From being the best Jedi in the universe?" Luke spat.
"From being what you want to be," Anakin said
"And what exactly is that?" Anakin closed his eyes for a minute, apparently trying to compose himself. He walked over to the desk Luke was standing in front of and rapped his knuckles against it, the tapping sound bothering Luke about as much as his father's evasive answers were.
"Will you stop it," he snapped. Anakin raised his eyebrows but stopped and looked at his son. But he wasn't really looking at him, Luke could tell. He didn't make eye contact, instead electing to look at his eyebrows. It was a weird habit that he only reserved for when he was angry with his children; something that Luke had never felt the need to question him about.
"For a while all you wanted to be was a Jedi," Anakin said quietly. "I assume that's not high on your list right now." His eyes finally snapped to Luke's and for a moment, the Jedi allowed sadness to cross them. But he only let his guard down for a moment, and Luke resented him for that. Who was he to have no feelings when Luke was angrier than he had ever been for no real reason? No real one reason, that is.
"I never got to be anything else."
"Well, what would you like to be?" Anakin asked. It was a valid question, but that didn't mean Luke was going to respond to it well.
"I don't know what I want to be. That's the point. My whole life it's been 'be a Jedi, be a Jedi, be a Jedi,' and I liked that because it made you proud of me."
"So now what?"
"Now it's different," Luke said dismissively.
"Different?"
"Yes. Different." Anakin stared at Luke for a moment, as if searching him for an answer Luke didn't even know. He finally sighed again and looked at the ceiling. He had been looking there for such a long time and with such intensity, Luke was almost inclined to look up himself just to see if something was actually hypnotizing him.
"Well. You want to be something different I wont stop you. Finish up this thing with your sister, if you want, and you can do whatever you want. I will tell you this though. You would be-are-one of the greatest Jedi I've ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because I have to. Not only are you great with a lightsaber, you think before you do things, which is what so many Jedi lack. In a few years, if you worked hard, you could be a master. Not because you're a Skywalker, but because you're talented. But it's your choice, and I never wanted to tell you what to do with your life." Anakin turned again to leave, but again Luke made him hesitate.
"I'll try to do whatever I can with the Leia situation, but after that…"
"We'll see," Anakin finished.
Luke didn't need to be able to see his sister to know where she was. It was the same for everyone in his family-so he hoped that Leia was too distracted by Alrick to notice where he had chosen to spend his day. She had taken the time to go with him to his house in Alderaan (one of his many homes and palaces throughout the galaxy). All he wanted to do was find out where the house was and get an idea of the security around it, because according to Leia this was his favorite spot to hang out when he wasn't busy doing whatever it was princes had to do. Luke actually rolled his eyes at the thought. From what he could tell, Leia was right around the house-palace, really from the look of it. Luckily, this was an area Luke was immensely familiar with. He had left his ship and Artoo underneath the shading leaves of one of the many large trees spread out on the outskirts of a dense forest.
So he walked, his brown cape billowed behind him, which made him look more important than he actually was. Or at least that was what he liked to think. It wasn't an unpleasant town to be walking through. It was very similar to Naboo with its small shops and buzzing streets. Yet Luke never liked Alderaan. Naboo had flavor, character. The damn Gungans were proof enough of that. But Alderaan was boring. It was mostly wealthy humans who barely ever stepped out of the planet; creatures who had nothing better to do than complain about other rich people and money and politics-all of which bored Luke to no end. That was probably why Alrick liked it here so much. On the other hand, while Leia generally contributed more to the betterment of society than Luke felt those other rich people did, those things were right up her alley. Perhaps Alrick wasn't so different from her. It looked like he certainly liked money from the way he dressed.
He stopped when he saw it to take the giant house in. He didn't need to feel Leia's Force signature to know it was Alrick's house. The whole thing screamed pretentious royalty. It was white and imposing, towering over even the trees next to it. A sad yard sat in front surrounded by a threatening brass gate. Though Alderaan was filled with trees, it appeared that even they didn't want to go near Alrick. A thin, leafless tree stood alone, as if standing guard. Something about it was ancient looking, but small and thin enough to be a sapling. It didn't look like much security-probably cameras with one or two guards at most-his father was pretty important in certain respects. But it wouldn't be difficult to break into and look around some other time, especially if Alrick was gone.
That damn tree. Why couldn't he get it out of his mind? He rested his head against the window of his ship, which he didn't even remember climbing into. The tree was stuck in his brain, it ate up every thought. Why was it there? And why did it look so old, so worn while staying so small and thin? Artoo beeped, writing popping up on the dashboard.
"No one's following us, Artoo, don't be paranoid." But the droid beeped again, more insistently this time.
"No one's on the radar," Luke said irritably. But not a second after the words left his lips, the whole ship shook. Before Luke could get his bearings, the phantom attacker hit again, this time shutting down the whole ship.