This chapter and the next one will be a bit short, but that is because I am setting things up for the 9th chapter. Why not just combine them then? Because I am trying to have one chapter be Leia/Luke's side of the story and the next be Ezra's, sometimes throwing in their Master's point of view as well. Once I add in Rowan he'll more then likely be getting his own chapter too and I might even split the twins up, depending on if this story keeps leading me in the direction I am planning, lol.
Ahsoka and Leia exited the pirate's ship, turning over it and its crew to the proper authorities. As they exited the hanger, Ahsoka saw her old friend Lux Bonteri standing nearby, talking to some of the soldiers. Waiting until he was done, she greeted him "Hello Senator Bonteri." Lux turned towards her with a smile on his face "Jedi Tano, it's good to see you again. Padawan Skywalker, how is your training going?" "Very well thank you." Leia replied, returning his smile with one of her own.
Leia wished that the Council would allow relationships just because she secretly shipped her Master with the Senator. If not for her Master's Jedi status, Leia would have said that they were made for each other. Even now she could sense her Master and the Senator trying to control their attraction to the other. "Well you must be busy Senator and we have to report to the Council, but it was nice seeing you."
Lux looked disappointed, though he tried to hide it, at Ahsoka's words. "Oh, yes, well it was nice seeing you too Jedi Tano." And with that, the three parted ways. Once they were out of earshot, Leia asked "Master, have you ever thought about leaving the Order, like my father did, for someone?" Ahsoka's eyes slid shut briefly, she thought she had done better at hiding her feelings from her Padawan then that. As the continued walking, Ahsoka sighed and said "The thought has crossed my mind before, Leia, I will admit that, but the Order means so much to me, everyone in it is my family, some closer than others, but still family. I wouldn't want to let them down."
Leia nodded, not quite understanding her Master's viewpoint, after all, she thought, if I felt I was in love with someone I would leave. But it was not her place to question her Master, so she let it drop. So lost in thought was she, that for several minutes she didn't realize that they weren't headed to the Jedi Temple. Just as she realized this and started to look around, Dex's Diner came into view. Of course her Master would head to one of her favorite hangouts before going on to brief the Council.
But suddenly her Master stopped and said "Why don't you go save us a seat, I'll brief the Council about what happened on Kashyyyk and join you shortly." It wasn't an odd request, they had done this a few times before, so Leia went to do so. Stepping inside, she searched the crowded restaurant for an empty booth. All the ones close to the door were filled up, so she headed to the dimly lit back to see if she would have better luck.
As her eyes adjusted, she gasped, for there, motioning for her to join them were her parents. She rushed over and hugged them, touching them for the first time in her memory. After a long moment, they parted enough so they could slide into a booth, her parents across from her. They talked until Ahsoka entered, which was Leia's cue, her parents told her, to leave their booth, though they promised they would meet again soon.
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Luke was just exiting the classroom of Younglings he had been assigned to when he spotted his sister and her master. Her twin, sensing his presence, rushed towards him, both hugging the other like long lost friends, which was more and more how they felt these days in their relationship. Oddly enough, the Council didn't discourage twin connections, for they knew that the bond was a rare one that was more helpful then hurtful. In fact, were in not for who their father was, Leia and Luke would have been assigned to the same Master and taught to fight together.
Ahsoka smiled and let the twins wander off together, saddened by how little time the two young children had together. Once they reached an area where they had no fear of being overheard by someone, Leia told Luke about meeting up with their parents that very day. When Luke told her about his earlier meeting with them, Leia felt a twinge of jealousy that her twin had gotten to meet them first, but then again she also realized that his not being there hadn't crossed her mind.
In fact these days she rarely thought about her twin, she saw so little of him that he was becoming more of an acquaintance to her then family. The thought horrified her quite a bit, but for the moment she didn't dwell on it, but rather decided to focus on the time she had with her twin and rebuilding the bond between them that was close to disappearing.