Thanks to everyone reading. If you get a chance drop a review. I love to chat with people.

This chapter is for everyone else who woke up to a brave new world today. At least the fanfic doesn't change.

Chapter 4

Luke's first glimpse of Theed knocked him off his feet. The city was extraordinary, with huge white domes and glistening streets. Coruscant was a pinnacle of industrial beauty, but Theed was a different kind of city. It was a city of human development and architecture. A city of light.

Seeing this place, Luke began to understand his mother. She dedicated her life to the galaxy, yes, but her heart belonged to her people, her home. No wonder she was said to have been so good. Anyone filled with the light of this place could not be dark.

Their first stop was the palace, where they were scheduled to hear a talk by former Senator Jar-Jar Binks. Luke didn't know much about the former Senator, except that he was a Gungan, and therefore the talk would probably be painful to understand. Gungans spoke Basic with an odd accent, and a whole speech of it was probably enough to drive anyone nuts.

But Luke didn't care. He was going to the palace, the royal palace, where his mother lived and worked for eight years. Surely there was no other place where Luke could better learn about his mother. She was said to have carried the crown with her even after leaving the palace; perhaps the Palace still carried her even after she left the galaxy.

The palace was beautiful, and Luke wasn't the only one in the class to walk through it with his eyes up. The domes were brilliant and bright. The walls crisp and decorated in ornate fashion. Not even the Imperial Palace was so beautiful. Palpatine's home was as dark and corrupted as the man himself.

The chaperones ushered them into the room signed "Department of Education" and Luke took a seat in the back. Former Senator Binks looked ridiculous to Luke, even by Gungan standards. His ears flopped every which way, and the rich fabrics he wore seemed ill-fitted. He was goofy looking, and didn't seem to carry himself the way senators normally did. Luke vaguely wondered if his father had liked Senator Binks, as he tended to like those who weren't traditional senators.

"Welcome Younglings. Isa so nice to meet yousa. Missa muy muy honor to greet yousa here on Naboo." The Gungan began, stopping only when a door behind him opened. A young woman, probably in her early twenties, poked her head in, and smiled upon seeing the students. Binks got very excited at the sight of her, "Isa Senator Naberrie!"

"Hello," the senator greeted, stepping into the room with a smile. She was quite beautiful, with silky brown hair pulled up in an elaborate braid. "I don't have much time, but when I heard who we had visiting I had to stop in. I know many of your parents through my work in the Senate. I wish I could stay, but I'm actually heading back to Coruscant now. I hope you all enjoy your trip," she finished before ducking out the door in the back of the room.

"Pooja is muy talent. Missa known her since she was a litta bitty girl. Missa jobbin with her Aunt Padmé."

Luke's head popped up at the words. Padmé? A former Senator who'd worked with a Padmé, probably in the senate. Binks knew his mother! And this woman… if her aunt was Padmé then…

Luke jumped to his feet, startling Rickon. "Where you going?"

All of the chaperones were properly focused on Senator Binks, so Luke whispered, "I have to talk to that Senator."

"Why in Sith Hell do you need to talk to a Senator?" Rickon asked, trying to pull Luke back to his seat before they both got in trouble.

Luke pulled away though, and stood to creep out the door before he answered, "Because I think she's my cousin!"

Rickon had nothing to say to that, and Luke slipped out the door after Senator Naberrie. She obviously walked with a purpose, because by the time Luke got into the hallway she had already gotten to the other end. "Wait!" the teen called out impulsively, the hallways echoing his voice. Senator Naberrie stopped, and Luke ran to catch up to her. "I'm sorry but I have to speak with you."

"I really have to go," Pooja told him, not sounding unkind but visibly annoyed as she began walking again. "You can make an appointment with me on Coruscant."

Luke did not want to wait the two days until he was back on Coruscant, not when he was so close. "It's about your Aunt Padmé!" he told her walking with her. If she had to get to her ship Luke would just walk with her.

But Pooja stopped at the mention of Padmé, and just looked at him. "What about my Aunt?"

She was nervous, visibly so, and Luke could understand why. His Aunt was somewhat of a legend, and yet she did not go by the name Amidala to booster her own career. Perhaps this was just a need to define herself, or perhaps Pooja was worried about the fact that Luke knew she was related to the woman whose Delegation of 2000 went on to form the Alliance. She had reasons to be nervous, but Luke sent out tendrils of calm through the Force. "Your Aunt is Padmé Amidala, right?"

"Was, she's dead, has been since before you were born. I really need to..."

"Not since before I was born," Luke cut her off, his blue eyes boring into her. He could sense she recognized him, even if only on a subconscious level. Clearly she had met his father as well. "Your Aunt died the day I was born. She…"

Luke looked at her and saw real fear not even his Force-reassurance could abate. She was late, and she was scared, and so was Luke. How could he just tell this woman he was her cousin? How do you tell someone that their Aunt was secretly married to a Jedi who'd then become a Sith? Luke didn't know, and suddenly he was scared to.

"She knew my father, Anakin Skywalker." Luke cursed himself for saying it, for not saying what he wanted to, but he just couldn't. "I'm Luke."

Pooja relaxed slightly, but still nodded tensely. "Yes, I met him a few times myself. They were good… friends. Sorry, I'm just surprised. Jedi weren't supposed to have kids and I was told your father died when the Jedi tried to overthrow the Republic."

"He did," Luke hated lying to her, but it was true in a certain sense. Plus, it was easier for her to know the lie then the truth.

Obviously, or she wouldn't have been smiling when she spoke again, "Come by my office when you get back to Coruscant, I might be able to tell you more about him. As I said, he and my Aunt were very close so I met him a few times."

Luke nodded, glad to see her leave now that he'd hidden the truth. Still, Pooja was no fool, and she'd been young when she saw Anakin with Padmé. There are few truths you can hide from younglings. She was almost to the palace doors when she stopped, understanding and fear competing for a place in her mind. "My Aunt died the day you were born?"

The teen nodded, before regretting his actions and running back to the lecture hall, hoping not to hear the Senator call after him. He got his wish, and yet Luke knew it was not over. She would be wanting to know more all because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Nice job Skywalker, nice job," Luke chastised himself, slipping back into the room just as everyone was splitting up into pairs to explore the Palace grounds. Rickon spotted him and they paired up immediately. Luke felt a bit bad about leaving Leah to have to find another partner, but he knew the girl wouldn't mind. Nothing bothered Leah.

"Did you talk to her?" Rickon asked as the pairs broke up to explore the city. Luke and Rickon headed out the palace doors, wandering aimlessly, as neither had listened when the suggested sights had been pointed out.

Besides, Luke was too busy thinking about the mess he'd made to really care where he was walking. "Yeah. I was going to tell her, then I didn't, and she figured it out anyways."

Rickon nodded in understanding, and was kind enough not to say 'I told you so.' Still the words weighed on Luke's mind. He'd known it probably wasn't a good idea to reveal himself to Pooja, not considering who his father had become, but he'd been impulsive. She knew his mother, and would actually talk about her. Luke just wanted to know.

Rickon and Luke explored Theed for a while longer, picking up souvenirs at this little market stall. Rickon got a Naboo ship replica, but Luke found himself picking up a little doll. She was dressed up like a queen, with elaborate makeup and headdress, but Luke still recognized the subtle differences between this queen and all the others around this. "This is Queen Amidala, right?"

The vendor nodded, smiling, "Yes. Even after all these years she's still our most popular doll. I'm sure your sister will love it."

Luke almost commented that he didn't have a sister, before deciding it was best to let the woman think that and not question why a teenage boy would want a little doll. Still, it was his mother, and a way for Luke to have her with him once he returned to Coruscant. He'd just need to hide her from his father, because he surely wouldn't stand having the reminder of his dead wife around.

"You know the anniversary of her death is coming up," the vendor chatted. "Do you go to the memorial? It gets smaller every year, but it's still beautiful."

Luke was amazed that after so long people cared enough at all to hold a memorial. His mother must truly have been loved. "No, I'm not from Naboo. I'm only here on a school trip."

"Too bad. It's quite a sight to see. Her family is well off and they always lace her grave with flowers…"

"Her grave?" Luke interrupted blinking quickly. "Wait, she wasn't burned?"

The vender shook her head, "No, Naboo tradition forbids it. She's buried behind the palace with the other former queens."

Throughout the galaxy the dead were cremated, so Luke had just always assumed his mother was as well. But no. She had a grave. He could go visit her grave. "Do you know if there is anywhere around here that sells flowers. Maybe leias?"

"Well there is a shop right outside the cemetery, but leias are very expensive. Naboo moon blossoms are just as beautiful and much cheaper. I'm sure your girlfriend will like those a lot."

Perhaps if Luke had a girlfriend, but his father had said his mother loved leias. Now Luke knew why. His father actually wanted Luke to visit his mother's grave; surely he wanted Luke to buy the flowers as well. Thanking the vender, Luke grabbed Rickon's arm and dragged him towards the cemetery, not answering his friend's questions. Once there, Luke stopped quickly, and Rickon understood.

"Your mother is buried here, isn't she?"

Luke nodded, but said nothing as he moved into the shop to find the flowers. There were none out, but he found the shop owner to ask. The owner looked surprised, wondering probably how a teen could afford the flowers, but said nothing as he went back to grab them.

"You're lucky I just got some in today. They only grow up in the lake region, and that's all private estate. Sometimes though one of the families will allow us to collect them to sell. I think these came from Varykino."

The name meant nothing to Luke. He had no idea that these flowers grew in the field by his mother's lake home. He didn't know that, in another life, he would have grown up picking these expensive flowers on a whim to give to his mother and sister. Luke didn't know the life he was missing out on as he bought the flowers and moved into the cemetery. There was no way he could.

Like all things in Theed, the cemetery was luxuriously beautiful. Huge monoliths, stone statues, and mausoleums covered the carefully maintained grounds. All the graves were covered in some sort of flower, some withered and dying, some fresh and new. A few people, tourists from the lack of mourning on their faces, wandered about, but Luke hardly noticed them. He walked down the rows aware of Rickon giving him space, and grateful for it. Especially when he finally found it.

It was one of the less fancy mausoleums actually, with few flowers. Someone had put some mountain daisies around within the past few days, and moon lilies grew on either side, but besides that it was bare. Upon tracing the name with his finger, Luke fell to the ground, tears bright in his eyes. His mother was in there, dead, decaying, cut off from him. Yet she was there. This was the closest Luke had been to his mom since he left her womb.

"Hi mom," he whispered, voice cracking. "You don't know me, but it's me, Luke. I wish… I wish I knew you. I wish you had been there, to tuck me in, to kiss my scraped knees. Even though you weren't I… I love you and I miss you. I just wish you could know. I'm with dad though, and we're a family, if an odd one. There's good in him mom, I know it. I know you knew it too even if… even if he may have been the one to ki… hurt you. I trust him, I really do. And I love him just like you did. I just wish… I wish you could know."

Luke gently placed the flowers on the grave, and as he did felt the Force's calm come over him. It felt like being wrapped in a warm hug, and Luke basked in it, imagining for a moment it was his mother.

"There is no death, there is the Force."

The voice was so whispered, so soft, that it startled Luke. He wondered for a second if he had imagined it, especially when Rickon didn't seem to notice anything, until he heard it again.

"You cannot see those whose spirit the Force has taken, but that does not mean they are not there."

Panic spiked within Luke when he realized that he recognized the voice. But that… that wasn't possible. He was dead. He'd been dead for years. "Ben?"

Luke didn't hear the old man again, but he caught a glimpse of blue from the corner of his eye. Turning quickly Luke could just make out the image of the dead Jedi before it disappeared into nothingness.

Great, now I'm being stalked by the ghost of my father's arch nemesis. This couldn't possibly get worse, Luke thought, and yet, yet Ben's words made Luke feel better. Perhaps it had been a hug from his mother Luke felt.