Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just created my own little AU sandbox to play in.

AN: Here's part 4! Sorry for the delay. December was a crazy month for me, but I hope to get back to a more regular update schedule now that the holidays are over. Enjoy this next installment and let me know what you think!

Blood Ties: A Forever Destined Vignette

Part 4/?

"Han?" Leia asked in surprise.

"Leia?" Han asked in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" Leia asked.

"That should be my question to you, Princess. Do your parents know you're here?" he asked. Leia looked away guiltily. Han smirked.

"And here I thought you'd never do anything to disappoint dear Daddy," Han joked. Leia glared at him.

"My boyfriend is having his life day party tonight and my parents were being unreasonably unfair. So, while they're at the gala tonight, I snuck out and I'll be back before anyone knows anything. This is a teen club, so I guess my question is why are you here?" she asked.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, Princess Bossy pants, but I'm here having a good time, just like you. Though you don't look like you're enjoying yourself that much. What kind of boyfriend leaves a girl like you alone in a place like this? Bet your Daddy wouldn't approve of any guy that left his little Princess all alone in a vulture pit like this," Han said, as he noticed how many guys in the room were noticing Leia. It was no wonder. Her parents would have never let her out of the house dressed like she was. It was then that Han noticed how much she had grown up in the last two years. Her maturation from a pretty young lady to a beautiful young woman had caught him completely off guard.

"Jake is just dancing with a friend. He's right over there," Leia said, pointing.

"With the blonde. Oh yeah, she looks really friendly," he replied sarcastically. Leia was about to retort when Jake's drunk friend, Randy, approached them.

"Hey sweet thing…while Jake's getting some from Veronica, why don't you dance with me? We'll have a really good time," Randy slurred, as he grabbed Leia around the waist. The young girl's eyes widened and she tried to push him away. But his strength surprised her.

"Let go, I don't want to dance with you," Leia said, in disgust, as the rancid smell of booze filled her nostrils.

"Come on baby…you know you want me," he leered, as he tried to kiss her. Leia shied away and was about to scream, but she didn't have to, for Han suddenly ripped the drunk young man off her and slammed him against the bar.

"She told you no, sleamo!" Han yelled, as he drew attention to them.

"Jealous? Get in line and you can have her after I'm done," Randy sneered. Han growled and punched him in the jaw, before tossing him to one of the security guards.

"He tried to attack her," he told them. The guard looked to Leia and she nodded.

"You little bitch! I'll see you at school and this scoundrel won't be there to protect your sweet ass!" Randy yelled drunkenly, as he was hauled away.

"Leia…are you okay?" Jake cried, as he rushed to her side.

"Yeah, no thanks to you. Some boyfriend you are," Han spat. Jake glared at him.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"He's Han. He's a friend of the family," Leia replied.

"Thanks, but I'll take it from here," Jake said, but Han stood his ground, as Lando and Ryoo caught up to him. Leia's eyes widened, as her older cousin fixated a stare of disbelief on her.

"Leia…what in blazes are you doing here?" Ryoo cried, as Mara came next to her.

"Mara too?" Ryoo questioned, as she looked at the girls.

"This is Jake's life day party…so we snuck out. But we're going to be home before anyone notices!" Leia promised.

"You're right, because we're taking you home right now. I'm sorry Lando, but we need to get these two home, while they give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell their parents," Ryoo said sternly.

"Of course. I'll go get the speeder and pull it around," Lando said.

"Wait…can I say goodbye to Jake?" Leia asked. Ryoo stopped.

"Make it quick," Ryoo told her.

"I'm sorry…I have to go, especially if I'm going to convince her not to rat me out to my parents," Leia said. Jake sighed.

"At least let me take her home," Jake pleaded.

"You can come with us, but I'm going to make sure my cousin is home where she belongs," Ryoo replied.

"Jake…you can't leave your own party," Veronica mentioned with a pout.

"Stay out of this Veronica," Leia snapped, as she turned back to her cousin.

"Why are you being so unreasonable? Jake will take me home, I promise," Leia pleaded.

"Unreasonable? Me? You're the one that snuck out against your parents' wishes, wearing a dress that they would never let you out of the house in, and without your light saber," Ryoo said sternly. Leia realized that in her excitement to go to Jake's party, she had foolishly forgotten her weapon at home.

"Do you know how many evil people are out there, just waiting for an opportunity to hurt your parents and if they saw you, they would use you to enact that opportunity. Yet, you waltz in here, without your weapon. It's like you just walked in a den full of hungry Nexu's. I know you're trying to fit in and that you're trying to be normal, but you're not. You're a Skywalker and I'm a Kenobi. We both have to live with the reality that our lives might always be a little more dangerous than the lives of others. Now, we're going. Jake can come if he likes, because I'll bet my credits that his Uncle doesn't know he's here either," Ryoo said, looking at him.

"Are you going to tell my Uncle?" Jake asked. Ryoo rolled her eyes. She didn't know what Leia saw in this spineless little coward.

"Maybe, unless you do the right thing and stand by your girlfriend. Because if my Uncle finds out that you left Leia in order to dance with some other girl, while one of your drunk sleamo friends tried to feel her up, then you'll never get within ten feet of her again. But if you do the right thing and come with us, then I might consider never talking to him. So, you can either cave under the pressure of your drunk, idiot friends and stay here or you can choose to keep seeing Leia," Ryoo said. Veronica snorted in disgust.

"You Jedi think you're soooo superior. I can't believe you're actually trying to intimidate him into leaving," Veronica spat.

"Shut up Veronica…she's right. I should have never left Leia's side in a place like this, especially when Randy is drunk," Jake spat at her. She looked at him in disbelief.

"I'm sorry Leia. I shouldn't have left you. You're my girlfriend and I'm going with you," Jake told her. Leia smiled and Veronica stalked off angrily. Han rolled his eyes and contemplated why it bothered him to see Leia with this other guy. He was a tool and a wimp. He was sure that was why. Leia needed a guy that could wield a good blaster, not that he wanted to be that guy…because he didn't, or so he told himself.

"Fine. Let's go. Lando parked out back, so he should be pulling the speeder around by now," Ryoo said, as he led Mara, Jake, and Leia out. Han followed them, glaring at the back of Jake's head.

~*~

Padme smiled, as Anakin kissed her forehead, before she stepped to the podium. The room immediately quieted, as she prepared to make her speech to thank the contributors.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honored to come before you tonight and I humbly thank all in attendance for their generous contributions to this cause. The funds we have raised tonight will be used to help battered young women, who think they have no way out, help. These funds give the shelters the resources they need to reach terrified women and give them a safe place. But your funds will help them go beyond that and allow them to help young women and even their children start a new life. With your generous contributions, they will be able to feed, clothe, and shelter them, while also helping them find jobs. Your generous donation will also help council these young women and let them know that their abuse was not their fault and ultimately free them from the oppression of their abusers," Padme said, pausing for a moment.

"I was once one of those battered young women. Before I met my wonderful, loving husband, I was the victim of abuse committed by my stepfather and later the victim of rape by an abusive boyfriend. I escaped a bleak fate that so many women don't. I was lucky and found a man that not only loves and protects me, but one that would never even think of harming me. So, as you can imagine, the cause that has brought us all here together tonight is one very close to my heart. I humbly thank you all for helping me to help these young women and children in need. It means everything to me and my husband, but also to those you are helping as well," Padme concluded, as she was met with applause. Anakin put his arm around her waist and kissed her softly.

"I have chills. I always do after you speak from your heart," he told her. She smiled and her heart fluttered, as he lowered his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Even after all their wonderful years together, he still made her feel like she was floating when he kissed her.

"May I have this dance, my angel?" he asked. She nodded.

"You may, my handsome protector," she replied, as he led her to the dance floor.

~*~

"Yes! I win again," Luke called victoriously, as he beat Jayden at their new flight simulation game once again.

"Stang…you're too good at this game," Jayden complained.

"But we both know that I'm better at the combat games," Jayden added. Luke shrugged.

"Maybe, but I'm the best pilot," Luke replied.

"Next to Dad," Jayden reminded.

"Of course. No one can out fly Dad or beat him in a light saber battle for that matter," Luke replied, as he suddenly frowned. He had been completely engrossed in the virtual simulator, which required focusing on the Force, that he had blocked everything else out, including his ever present connection to his twin sister. But now that it was restored, he sensed Leia was scared and in danger.

"We're bored," Kimberly said.

"Yeah, we're tired of watching you two play hologames," Jenna huffed.

"Let's do something else that we can all do," Natalie suggested. But Jayden spotted the look of dread on his brother's face.

"Luke, what is it?" Jayden asked.

"It's Leia. She's in danger…Mara too," he uttered.

"What? No they're not. They're right upstairs," Jenna replied.

"No they're not! They're gone!" Luke cried, as he ran out of the room and up the stairs with his siblings trailing behind him. Tyler and Neela, having been startled, quickly

followed them. Luke burst into Leia's room and found it empty.

"They are gone," Kimberly said with worry.

"What?! But how?" Tyler exclaimed.

"They must have snuck out. And now they're in danger. I can feel it," Luke said gravely.

"Luke, are you sure?" Neela asked. He nodded.

"All right, everyone in the speeder. We'll call your parents on the way to the Calrissian resort," Tyler said, as they all headed for the elevator, which would take them down to the speeder hanger.

~*~

At the same time

As Ryoo exited the club, she saw Lando's speeder in the distance. Suddenly, three speeders sped up on them and surrounded them. A man that Ryoo recognized as Chase Munez, stepped out of one of the speeders, smirking smugly at them. Ryoo drew her light saber, as she noticed that his company included Cad Bane. And she knew that this was very bad.

"Hello Mara," he said.

"What…are you doing?" she asked the man that was supposedly her biological father.

"Getting rich off you, dear daughter," he told her. Mara drew her light saber, as Bane's goons descended upon them. Han capped two of them with his blaster, but one shot him in the arm and then hit him in the head with the butt of their blaster. Leia screamed, as Han fell unconscious to the ground. The one that had shot him grabbed Leia's arm and she watched, as Jake stood frozen in his tracks, immobilized by fear. One of the goons took advantage of his fright and pushed him into the wall. And he could only watch, as Ryoo and Mara were disarmed by Bane himself.

"Ryoo!" Lando cried, as he hopped out of his speeder. But Bane's goons began firing blaster bolts at him, forcing him to duck for cover behind his speeder. Bane grabbed Leia by the arm.

"Well, well, I can't believe my luck. You know, the original plan just included capturing and ransoming Mace Windu's daughter. But now, not only do I have her, but I also have one of Obi-Wan Kenobi's daughters and if that wasn't good enough, I have the eldest daughter of the Chosen One too," Bane sneered.

"My…father is not someone you want to cross, nor is my Uncle or Master Windu," Leia said bravely, but Bane only chuckled.

"Ordinarily not, but with you three as my hostages, I've just found the perfect way to bring them all to their knees," Bane sneered. Leia yelped, as he hit her behind the neck, knocking her unconscious. Ryoo leapt at Bane, but he wrapped his hand around her slender neck, before throwing her back against one of the speeders and she crumbled to the ground. Chase grabbed Mara around the waist and threw her into the trunk of his speeder, while Bane's goons took Leia and Ryoo and put them into the trunk of Bane's vehicle. As they sped off, Lando stumbled out from behind his speeder and knelt down beside Han. The other young man groaned in pain and clutched his head, as Lando helped him up.

"Stang…" he swore.

"Easy, let's get you into the speeder," Lando said.

"Where are they?" Han asked.

"Bane and his goons took the girls," Lando replied gravely.

"Sleamos. We gotta go tell their parents. Aren't they all at your Dad's resort?" Han asked. Lando nodded, as he noticed Jake by the wall, sitting on the dirty ground, still in shock.

"Hey kid, let's go," Lando called.

"Leave the little coward. He doesn't want his Uncle to know that he snuck out tonight. Don't worry kid, we'll help Leia," Han spat.

"No…wait for me," he called, as he climbed into the speeder.

"I care about Leia," Jake insisted.

"Yeah, I love how you just stood there while they manhandled her," Han spat back, as they glared daggers at each other.

"That's enough. We don't have time for this," Lando said, as he fired the engine's thrusters and sped into the air.

~*~

Padme rolled her eyes, as the incessant Holonet reporters present at the event continued to capture holo after holo of them, as they danced together in each other's arms.

"How many holos do they need? All they've done all night is snap holos of us," Padme complained, though her tone was light hearted.

"I don't know, but I can't say that I blame them for wanting to capture holos of the most beautiful woman in the galaxy," he replied.

"Flatterer," she teased.

"It's true angel," he insisted. She smiled.

"But if it would make you happy, I could mind trick them into going away. That would be entertaining," he said, getting a mischievous look in his eyes. She gave him a stern look, though her eyes were laughing.

"Mind tricking is very rude and you are not causing property damage at my gala," she told him.

"Okay," he pouted, pretending to be disappointed. Suddenly, thanks to Riley's rather loud voice, they heard a commotion. Standing at their table was Tyler, Neela, and the kids, minus Leia. And that's when Anakin felt it.

"Daddy…" Leia cried to him through the Force and her fear stabbed at his heart like a vibro blade.

"Leia…" he uttered. Padme turned her head to him.

"Ani…what is it? What's wrong?" she asked. He wordlessly took her hand and led her back to the table.

"Tyler, what's going on?" he asked.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know how they did it, but Leia and Mara snuck out," Tyler said.

"I'm sorry Dad. She must have hidden her intentions from me with the Force. I didn't sense she was gone until it was too late," Luke said regrettably.

"It's not your fault son. We'll find her," Anakin told him.

"Anakin…is she hurt?" Padme asked.

"No…I don't think so, but she's in danger," Anakin replied.

"Where would they have gone?" Padme wondered.

"They were at Club Nova," Lando announced, as he entered, helping Han along.

"Han was shot by one of Bane's goons ," Lando said.

"Bane?" Padme exclaimed.

"I need a medic!" Calin called.

"Lando, what happened?" Anakin asked.

"Han, Ryoo and I were at Club Nova when we spotted Leia and Mara. They were there with this kid," Lando said, gesturing to Jake. Anakin glared at the young man, who was unable to meet his gaze.

"Club Nova? I told you that you weren't allowed to go there," Clovis exclaimed.

"Anyway, when Ryoo saw them, she told me to go pull the speeder around. We were going to take them home, but as they exited, Bane and his goons jumped them," Lando said.

"Some guy named Chase said he was going to make a lot of credits off them," Han added.

"Chase…he did this. He took Mara," Zia said, as she started to panic. Mace held her, as he tried to calm his own emotions.

"They took Ryoo?" Sola asked, as Obi-Wan put his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes…I'm sorry. I tried to protect her, but they kept shooting at me," Lando replied.

"It's not your fault, Lando. We'll get them back, but the question is, how do go about finding them," Obi-Wan said.

"We won't have to," Dooku said, as they turned their attention to him.

"Bane has contacted me with his ransom demand. He is waiting to speak with all of us," Dooku said gravely.

"I have a conference room where we can take the call," Calin said, as he led them into the back hallway and toward his office, even as Holonet reporters surrounded them, trying to make sense of the commotion. But they ignored them and entered Calin's office and prepared to deal with Bane and his cohorts in order to get their girls back…