AN: Oh I'm so giddy. After this I get to post the real stuff. The good stuff. Oh I can't wait. I'm almost in the mood to update tomorrow. Okay, so I was going through my story and found that I had named two chapters, chapter three, so I've got one more chapter than I originally thought! That makes my grand total thirty-nine… Ugh! And I'm still trying to decide whether I should write an epilogue or not… Whatever…
Read, enjoy, and review!
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Chapter Three
Vader had given Ahsoka his comlink code and when she asked why, he didn't exactly reply. But when she thought he had closed their bond again she swore she heard him say he wanted to see her, but it could have been her own wishful thinking.
The ride to Echo Base was short, but long in another way as Ahsoka didn't have Leia to keep her company being that she was flying in her X-wing to the base as was Luke. Leia was the only female pilot on the Rogue Squadron and one of the few female pilots they had. It wasn't at all Leia's intention to be part of such an integral part of the rebellion as many of the people there hated her father. But Leia had too much pride to let everyone awe over Luke like he was the only one who could do acts of braveness and recklessness. So after a year of stubbornly refusing to be on the squad and a frustrated commander trying to teach the group of young hot shot pilots a new formation, she grabbed a flight suit, put on a helmet and borrowed (the term that Leia used when she took something without asking) a ship to show the group, in her own words, "How a real man should be able to fly these things…"
It resulted in her and Luke racing around their base (on Dantooine at the time). After Mon found out it was her giving Luke a run for his money, she immediately set to have Leia put on the squad, much to the dismay of the rest of the squad that she had successfully showed up. Ahsoka had a feeling Luke hadn't been that happy either.
Ahsoka carefully lifted her sleeping daughter in her arms, making sure she was bundled warmly as she stepped out of the ship and onto the new base.
"It's freezing," Abdul complained coming behind her.
Behind him, Lana was trying to shake off the cold as well while making her way to Leia's starship.
"I got here first," Leia declared loudly.
"Did not," Luke said climbing out his ship. "You know you can't beat me in a race."
The twins had an odd relationship, Ahsoka mused to herself. They got along like they should, but they had an odd rivalry going. Mara had been less than happy about it when she found out as her rivalry with Luke was legend on the base. She hadn't been exactly nice to Leia when they met for that reason alone and vise verse, until Mara found out Leia was only Luke's sister.
"Unbecoming of a Jedi, competition is. Arrogant, you both are," Yoda chided.
Luke nodded his head in acceptance of the correction while Leia only rolled her eyes.
"It's no big deal. What's wrong with a little friendly competition?" she asked.
"Nothing when friendly it stays," Yoda said with a piercing look at Leia who was known to let things get to her head.
"Fine," Leia said holding her hands up as the high council came to greet them.
"Hi Mon," Luke said to her.
"Great to have you back Luke. We've got some new pilots who are in desperate need of training. You couldn't have come back at a more perfect time," Mon said gratefully.
"Already on it," Luke said with a grin and turned to his sister who was trying to keep warm by huddling in between her two childhood friends. "You three coming?"
"Are you kidding?" Leia asked. "It's freezing. I'm going to go to get under about ten covers and go to sleep."
"Then I guess I'll have to tell Captain Solo that you're occupied. He was looking for you earlier," General Rieekan said to her.
Leia's eyes lit up. "On second thought, I can't miss the opportunity to antagonize Han. We'll come with you Luke."
"What about me?" Mara asked.
"You're a distraction," Luke said sticking out his tongue at the redhead.
Mara rolled her eyes and brushed past him to follow behind Leia.
"They're certainly quite the odd bunch around here," Mon pointed out.
"They're more of a handful than Shmi could ever be," Ahsoka added.
Mon glanced at the girl in Ahsoka's arms. "How is she doing anyway?"
"Right now?" Ahsoka asked. "Cold."
Winter put a hand on Ahsoka's back to lead her away from the hanger.
"Let's go some place warmer then. We have a lot to discuss anyway," Winter said.
Ahsoka smiled in thanks to Winter. The girl was as helpful and kind as her father had been before Alderaan's destruction. She was the only one on the High Council who knew of Shmi's parentage and she had never spoken a word. Realistically so, the council had wondered about the girl's father. For a former Jedi, especial one a prominent as Ahsoka used to be, to suddenly show up with the second child of Anakin Skywalker with a child of her own was certainly something to wonder about. But Bail had assured them that everything was fine and they had let Ahsoka and Shmi into the rebellion on his word alone. Ahsoka knew that if they did happen to figure out who Shmi's father was, it would take more than a little explaining to get them to trust her.
"Any news on the empire?" Ahsoka asked as she sat in a chair with Shmi snuggled in her lap at the large round table.
"Not yet. But there are rumors that Vader has increased his efforts in trying to find the rebellion. One of our spies has heard the suggestion that after Vader crushes the rebellion, he's planning a coup against the emperor," Mon replied.
"Do you think it's possible?" General Madine asked.
"Vader doesn't seem patient enough to wait that long before killing the emperor. If he were planning something like that, wouldn't he have done so already?" Akbar asked.
Ahsoka had to give it to Akbar. He was right about Vader not being patient enough to wait for the rebellion to be crushed before he made his move. But Ahsoka knew it wasn't the rebellion he wanted. Vader wanted his children by his side before he took control of the empire, along with the permanent annihilation of the Jedi. It would actually be easier if the emperor were dead if he wanted to completely crush the rebellion. Then the entire army would be at his disposal without the emperor dictating things. The defeat of the rebellion would be swift.
"What do you think Knight Tano?"
Ahsoka wanted to remind them that technically, she wasn't a knight. To be fair, she wasn't really much of a Jedi anymore. She was just a woman with force training, but she doubted that would go over well.
She paused and pressed her lips together.
"There's only one reason why I think Vader would want to go after the rebellion first," she said careful to choose her words as she had very nearly blown her secret by giving out too much info before. She knew Vader inside and out and could very well predict his moves. She had done so enough over the years.
"What's that?" Mon asked.
"Vader knows that the Jedi are here and he senses powerful force-sensitives among the rebellion. No doubt he's looking for an apprentice," Ahsoka said. It wasn't a lie… But still, she avoided Mon's piercing gaze. Ahsoka had a feeling Mon was onto her. Ever since Bail had died, she was more suspicious of what exactly Ahsoka had been doing all these years.
"Correct she is," Yoda said to them stoppingMon from saying anything if she had been about to. "Two sith at a time there are. If kills his master Vader does, an apprentice he will need. In grave danger, the Skywalker children are."
"But no doubt if he's after them, he'll try and kill two birds with one stone," Obi-wan said knowingly.
"But until he finds us, we're safe for now," Ahsoka said firmly ignoring the look Yoda and Obi-wan were giving her.
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"How long do you want to bet it'll be before those two finally admit their smitten with each other?" Abdul asked sighing.
"I don't know," Lana said with her arms crossed. "I doubt it'll be anytime soon at this rate."
It was a daily occurrence when Han was on the base. Han was originally just a smuggler who did occasional jobs for the rebellion, but he came around more than he needed to on the grounds that he had nothing better to do, which was a lie. He needed to pay off his debt to Jabba the Hutt. But everyone knew he kept coming back because he had taken a liking to Leia though no one would know it with the way they fought.
"If you would just listen to me, I could have this ship in top working order, but no. You insist on being a male chauvinist pig like I can't do anything," Leia snapped.
"It already is in top working order princess," Han snapped. "And you just had to go take apart the hyperdrive. Do you know how long it's going to take me to fix that?"
"I took it apart so I could fix it permanently," Leia shot.
"It was already fixed."
"If you call a hyperdrive that stalls twice for every one time you make a hyperspace jump fixed, sure. In real working order Han," Leia replied rolling her eyes.
"And there you go with the sarcasm," Han said dryly. "Where do you and Luke pick that up from anyhow? Ahsoka may have a dry sense of humor but she's not sarcastic."
"Our father," Leia said seriously but Han again took it for sarcasm.
"You're the most infuriating person I've ever met Leia Skywalker," Han said before storming away.
Chewie gave Leia and apologetic growl and Leia only shrugged at him before he followed Han off the ship.
"Are they fighting again?" Mara asked as Han stormed past her.
"Surprised?" Lana asked.
"It's only been five minutes," Mara said in amazement.
"Leia took apart Han's hyperdrive to fix it and they got to fighting. Leia then insulted him and said she was trying to get the Falcon in working order. He insisted it was in working order and then Leia started getting sarcastic," Abdul said. "I don't know why he's so bothered by it. It's part of her personality and she was bound to pick it up from Vader."
"Han doesn't know that," Lana pointed out.
"True. I wish he did though," Abdul muttered. "Leia's got nothing on her dad. That man's sarcasm can cut through diamonds."
Mara wouldn't know. Luke had only met Vader briefly but he didn't talk about him much. It wasn't that he was really denying Vader anymore either. He just didn't know anything about the man and Mara wasn't really on friendly terms with Leia. Speaking of her…
"Hey Leia," Mara yelled into the ship.
"What?" Leia said dryly from where she was.
"The mechanics want you on the south hanger. They're having trouble conditioning the speeders to the cold. They won't start," Mara yelled.
"There's two things they need to do. One is they need to go order a specific battery that immune to cold temperatures. On a planet like Dantooine or Yavin, they don't need that as it's warm all year round but on ice planets they need that battery," Leia yelled. "I told the mechanics they needed to do that before we moved onto the base."
"But that could take weeks," Mara said to her.
"I know. That's why until then tell them to empty the coolants from the engine and the Freon from the ac units. Since it's cold outside and in the hanger, we can do without it for a while because as cold as it is, the engine isn't going to overheat in sub-zero temperatures."
Mara nodded and commed the mechanics to relay the message. Even though Luke's piloting skills were superior to Leia's (as much as she hated to admit it), Leia's skill in mechanics outdid Luke's any day. It was only from the fact that she had worked on her speeders with Vader so much in her youth. He taught her all the ins and outs of speeder engines and designs that he knew, all the ins and out, tricks and cheats to keeping a speeder or any ship in top working conditions.
"They said they would prefer you come show them."
"It's not that difficult," Leia said annoyed. "But if they need help, tell them I'm sending Artoo."
Artoo made responded with a series of beeps and whistles in Leia's direction.
Leia laughed. "I can handle it Artoo. I'm not ten anymore."
Artoo made a dry response and Leia winced.
"A ten year old shouldn't be anywhere near street racing. It's too dangerous."
Artoo again responded dryly.
"Of course I know it's dangerous. But I have the instinct and common sense to deal with it," Leia said nonchalantly.
Artoo then said something in exasperations before coming out the ship and heading to the south hanger with Mara.
"Artoo's right," Abdul said figuring he and Lana may as well help Leia since they had nothing better to do. "You'd think you'd get into less trouble with age."
"I'm not nearly as bad as when I was younger. Do you remember the stuff we used to get into?" Leia asked.
"You mean the stuff you dragged us into," Lana corrected.
"Remember Ahsoka's birthday cake?" Abdul asked laughing. "That was a disaster."
"I don't know whether or not we should laugh at the camping incident. Ahsoka and Vader were furious with us," Lana said.
"It would have never happened if they had just taken me camping to begin with," Leia muttered.
"Can you blame them? Those two fought in wars where they had to sleep outside and eat ration bars in deserts, swamps, and forests while fighting off enemies and the native wildlife. For them camping isn't a great experience. It's survival and war," Abdul pointed out.
"I think that's one of the only things they agreed on off the bat when I asked them. My dad took anything electronic from me for a week," Leia said smiling a little.
"Your date was funny," Lana asked and Leia huffed.
"It wasn't funny. He tried to spy on me and was using the force to sabotage it," Leia growled and then added, "Ahsoka was a real lifesaver then."
"What did she do anyway?"
"She distracted him," Leia said dryly.
"Meaning?" Abdul asked.
"That was about a year before I set them up on that date right?" Leia asked and suddenly it clicked in their heads.
"Those two always did have a weird relationship," Abdul commented as he cut a wire on the hyperdrive so Leia could re-circuit them.
"Maybe Ahsoka can distract your dad when he finds out about Han," Lana suggested.
"There is nothing between me and Han," Leia insisted.
"It would take a blind fool not to see it," Abdul said pointing at Leia with a wrench. "Your dad's going to choke him."
"No… I think he might do something worse when he finds out he's ten years older than her," Lana mused.
At that point, Leia couldn't help but laugh. "Shut up," she said using the force to playfully shove the two.
"Leia!"
Leia turned from what she was doing to see Shmi looking at her with wide pleading blue eyes,
"What?"
"I want to go play in the snow," she declared. "Mama said if I asked nicely, you would take me."
"You haven't asked," Leia pointed out much to the girl's annoyance.
"Leia, please!" Shmi asked hugging her around the leg.
"Let me just finish this," she said.
"Where is Han anyway?" Shmi asked as she looked around the old ship.
"Helping Luke I think. Why don't you go find him until I'm done?" Leia suggested.
Shmi shrugged and skipped out the ship, Leia looking after her. Sensing their friend's melancholy mood, Lana and Abdul looked at her.
"You okay?" Lana asked.
Leia blinked out of her stare and shook herself out her daze. "Yeah. Just thinking is all…"
"About what?"
"Dad would love Shmi," Leia said smiling. "I remember when I was that age, he spoiled me day and night. He was my entire universe."
"He still is," Abdul pointed out.
"I hate not being able to talk about him openly and I hate that everyone else hates him. They don't know his human side," Leia said sighing and then shrugged before going back to what she was doing.
Lana and Abdul exchanged a glance. When Leia was like this, it was best to just not say anything to her. So they continued to work on the Falcon in silence.
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AN: I was so shocked at how much all this stuff came up later in the story. Oh and I can't wait until the next chapter. It's got a scene where… Well, you all can guess. I threw a clue in there.
Anyway, Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!