Chapter 10 - Queen of Naboo

Author's Note: Here's a Leia-centric chapter. :D

~ Amina Gila

"I'm worried about Luke," Padme tells Anakin unexpectedly when he's over at her apartment.

Anakin suppresses a sigh. She's been very unhappy with Luke's decision to join the army, and he doesn't blame her. Luke should've gone to Naboo where he'd be safe. "What happened?"

She sighs. "I'm afraid he's spending too much time with Palpatine."

Anakin freezes, turning to stare at her. "What? Why?!" He knows that Padme and Palpatine have had conflicts after he came back into office, because that... shouldn't have happened, but that doesn't mean he's ever been able to understand it.

"I was talking to him about the situation on Lasan," she explains, "He's understandably upset that the Senate won't take action, but he seems to think a dictatorship would resolve the problem."

"It would," Anakin replies bluntly, "And it's not a dictatorship. Sometimes, it takes drastic measures to do the right thing. You know that. You've done it yourself. We all have."

Padme makes a frustrated noise. "You're missing the point, Anakin."

"Then what is your point?" Anakin asks, "Palpatine is only doing what he can to end the war, and you know Luke has always looked up to him." Both the twins have, because before he'd become Chancellor again, he often had more time to spend with them than either Anakin or Padme. Of course, the twins would be... attached to him, and very much value his opinion.

"I don't like how much time Luke spends with him," Padme sighs, "I don't trust Palpatine. You know I don't like how he was able to return to power."

Anakin can think of a thousand arguments in response to that, but they've talked about it before, and there's no reason to bring it up again. They both know that. "It's wartime," Anakin replies finally, "Luke needs whatever stability he can get."

"I know," she concedes, reluctantly, "But I am still worried about how it's affecting him. Could you speak to him about it?"

Anakin has no idea what to say to that. What should he say? "Don't drag me into this," he says finally, firmly, "You know I don't believe that."

"It's for his own good," she insists.

"Padme, I've known the Chancellor for years. If something was wrong, I would know."

"You've always looked up to him, also," she points out. Why is that that's something everyone around him is constantly criticizing? Now that they're older, Obi-Wan doesn't seem quite as visibly... unhappy about it, but that may be mostly because he has no way to know anymore, how much time Anakin's with Palpatine.

"If you have a problem with this, bring it up to him yourself," he replies firmly. He's not getting dragged into this when he doesn't even agree in the first place. If someone is willing to help Luke, why would he ever say no to that? There's nothing wrong with it, and Anakin would never try to stop it. He knows what it's like to be alone.

**w**

"Is there anything you can do?" Luke asks, once he's finished explaining the situation with Lasan.

Sometimes, Sidious can only marvel at how... trusting all three Skywalkers are. There's a strange level of loyalty they give to all those they consider family, and that includes him now. "I will ask the Senate to reconsider," he replies, with a perhaps slightly exaggerated sigh, "But I am afraid they will likely not be inclined to do anything. Republic forces are already spread thinly, and unless they see something to gain, they are not likely to offer aid."

Luke's expression twists, angrily. (It's as fascinating as it is entertaining, sometimes, to play on their emotions, watching them shift as he pushes the right buttons. Perhaps it's just the wildness in the way the Force responds to them – Anakin, in particular, but the twins, too – that actually makes Sidious feel. It feeds the Dark Side, more than they could ever imagine.)

"Mother was saying that, too, but the war is there because of us. It's our responsibility to help them, especially if this is our fault."

"It is regrettable," Palpatine murmurs, sympathetically, "But I cannot force the Senate to agree to this. The most I can do is push for at least some aid to be sent."

Luke's shoulders slump. "Alright," he concedes, unhappily, "I just feel like we ought to be doing more."

"I agree," Palpatine assures. Really, he does, just not quite in the way the boy thinks. "The Senate is too unfocused to conduct the war effort effectively."

"So, there's really nothing else you can do?"

"As of now, I'm afraid not."

Luke's disappointment is obvious, and it's... having the precise effect Palpatine was hoping for. In the end, there is little work he will have to do on his own, to push the boy towards the Dark. The Republic and Jedi will do it for him. For Anakin and Leia, it may be... a little more difficult, since Anakin is so much older now. But at the same time, with how many years they have known each other, he is not too concerned with the choice Anakin will make. And Leia... when she is separate from the others, mostly of her own choice, even if he may have encouraged her along, it will... not be hard.

He could almost thank Senator Amidala – for as irritating as he finds her, most of the time – for how easy she's made it. Encouraging Anakin's relationship with her when he was younger – especially given now when she is not the most... ideal mother for the twins, or she would've spent more time with them herself instead of constantly sending them to him – was the best choice he could've made.

"Now make sure you behave, and –" Senator Amidala is mid-saying when the door to Palpatine's apartment opens.

The five-year-old twins' faces light up instantly. "Grandpa!" they both squeal, and the next thing he knows, they're stampeding towards him, throwing their arms tightly around his waist.

...

What –

Of course, he can understand conceptually the meaning behind what they're doing. Hugging is... a very strange display of affection among... others. An open display of emotion that makes little sense to him, and seems... foolish, not that he will tell the twins so.

Almost awkwardly, he lays a hand on each of their shoulders, waiting for them to... get tired of this.

Physical affection is something Anakin always... liked, with those he was close to. It's never something he's initiated with Palpatine, though, likely because he was never comfortable with it at first when he was young.

But this is something else entirely, and he... doesn't know what to think of it. No one touches him this personally. He would never let anyone, but this is... a little different. They're young, and besides, it's not as though he would do anything to discourage their obvious attachment to him.

"Is it alright if I leave them with you for a little while?" Senator Amidala asks.

"Of course," Palpatine assures. How could it not be? Even the Jedi were not so willing to turn Anakin over to him, for such extended periods of time.

"Yay!" Luke squeals, practically bouncing up and down.

Leia snatches his hand, equally elated. And it takes him a moment to realize that she just... wants to hold it. For some reason.

...Fine.

He'll have to be patient with this... strange level of physical contact they apparently desire.

**w**

This is the moment Leia's been awaiting, for so long. She's spent years preparing for it, and from the Force, she already knows what the election results are going to show, even before they come in. Even if she's almost too nervous to accurately sense anything right now.

The election is over, and she's waiting in private in a room at the palace, for the results.

Finally, the door to the room slides open, and her captain – who's been in charge of her security since her campaign started – steps into the room. Sometimes, she's still not sure what to think of him. Though she's fairly certain the feelings are mutual.

"Your Highness," Captain Han Solo greets, formally – though something about him never really seems truly formal. He's too... chaotic. "The results are out."

"And?" Leia prompts, even if she already knows the answer.

"What did you expect, your Highness?" he asks, cheerfully.

"That you'd be looking solemn for perhaps the first time if I had lost?" she queries, a little snippily. Hardly the portrayal she needs to be putting on right now, but somehow, Han has that effect.

Han smirks. "With your speeches, I can't imagine you losing to any of the other candidates."

Leia raises an eyebrow. "Did you even listen to them? I thought you... disliked speeches." Hated them, had actually been the term she overheard him using.

"More than enough," he answers, flatly.

"I believe we have places to be," Leia replies, standing.

"That we do," he agrees, motioning for her to follow as they head from the room to greet the rest of her security team and the Naboo Governor.

Governor Quarsh Panaka – it's ironic that he was once her mother's security guard when she was Queen – is waiting outside, and she's certain she sees a flicker of recognition in his eyes when he sees her. He doesn't know who she is, of course, because the identity of the Nubian Queen is always kept secret. It's unimportant. But there's no way he can't tell how much she looks like Padme.

Especially because, right now, she doesn't have any of the traditional Queen makeup on. Throughout her campaign, Pooja would always help her put it on, but right now, it's not on.

"Queen Amakassu," Panaka says in greeting, using the name Leia's chosen for herself.

No one knows what it truly means – no one will, except Anakin and Luke. It connects her directly to them, and it's... satisfying, in a way. It's her own little secret, that's so public, yet no one will understand it, because that word is Amatakkan meaning 'daughter of the Mother'. It's the Tatooine slave language. Yet here on Naboo, no one will know.

And speaking of her family, she can't wait until they get here.

**w**

Each passing moment waiting for them to get here is agonizing, if she's being honest. It's been way too long since she was last with them. Leia thinks about her family constantly, but being with them is more a dream than reality. And even these little fleeting moments remind her of exactly why she's doing this – to give others the family she herself hasn't been able to have.

The official ceremony where the Queens switch hasn't happened yet, so Leia's more free to move around and find a private spot, the moment she finally gets the call that they're here.

"Luke," Leia breathes, tackling him in a hug almost the moment he steps into the room. He's a part of her in a way... nothing else is, and she knows he can say the same. Being apart is hard, even if it's... expected.

"Hey, cinnamon buns," he replies, hugging her back, tightly.

"Seriously? That's the first thing you have to say?"

"You're stuffing your bun in my ear, so yes."

She elbows him hard as she pulls back, laughing. "You're crazy."

"How are you going to hear in meetings with earmuffs?" he asks, smirking.

"I believe you've both had this discussion before," Padme interrupts, clearly amused.

Leia finally looks past Luke, to her parents. "I missed you," Leia breathes.

"I missed you too, little one," Anakin says softly, and she darts across the room, throwing herself into his arms next. It's been so long since she's been... held. He's the only one who's ever done it, except when she was very little.

"Congratulations on your election," Padme adds, and Leia pulls back from Anakin just enough to give her a smile. It's one of the rare moments her mother has seemed so happy, with all four of them together, Leia realizes.

"I knew you would win," Anakin tells her, holding her close. She rests her head against his chest, and his hand moves up to touch her hair. She could swear she feels Luke's very loud thought of 'be careful, you're gonna mess up her hair', but he thankfully doesn't ruin the moment.

"Because of the Force, or because you watched 'boring' speeches during your free time on the battlefield?" Leia asks, dryly, "Unlike a certain captain of mine who claims he did, even though he definitely did not."

"A bit of both," Anakin replies, clearly amused, "And they were not boring."

"They were very well said," Padme agrees, and Leia feels a swell of... something in her, at the words.

"What captain?" Luke asks, impishly, "I could almost think you mean me."

"You're included. But I thought you were a commander, not captain."

He rolls his eyes.

"His name is Han," Leia comments, "He's originally from Corellia, but he moved to Naboo a while back."

"How is he?" Padme asks, looking amused, "I think Panaka had a rising headache the moment he first met me and realized how hard it would be to keep me out of trouble."

Leia snorts. "I can't imagine you getting into trouble." Though the mental image of the current, very dignified governor chasing after a young version of her mother is too comical.

"I did a lot, when I was younger," she replies, dryly.

"I want to hear more about this," Luke insists.

"Mostly, it was our ability to pretend to be each other so much that he didn't even know it that annoyed him," Padme responds.

"Have you chosen who's going to work with you yet?" Anakin asks.

"Working on it," Leia replies, "There's gonna be Pooja, of course, and Han says he already knows someone else who would fit the job perfectly. A few other people have applied for the job, too, but there won't be any body doubles." She doesn't think she'd need any, anyway. She can use the Force – albeit minorly – and it's not likely she'll have to worry about it. So long as the war doesn't come here. It's not a thought she wants to consider right now. But being Queen during wartime will be a lot harder than when her mother was Queen.

"It will be harder, during wartime," Anakin echoes her thoughts, "But I know you can do it."

"So whoever you choose has to be the best," Luke agrees, cheerfully.

"If you need assistance with anything, you can always call me," Padme adds.

"Or Palpatine, but yes, I will," Leia replies. Because he's the one who taught her so much about politics. And why is there this look on her mother's face when she says that? Padme glances over at Anakin momentarily who ignores it. Is something going on that she's missing? Luke doesn't even seem to notice. "... But I just realized that, technically, I'm your boss now."

"Awkward," Luke chirps.

"I'm aware," Padme replies, wryly, though there's the slightest edge in her voice that wasn't there before.

Leia frowns. "What's wrong, Mom?"

"It's nothing," she answers, after a moment of hesitation long enough to indicate that it's definitely something.

Why does she get the feeling it has something to do with her comment about Palpatine? She doesn't know if that's true, but she's always been... good at reading people, and that's when Padme's attitude had shifted.

She'll have to ask about this more later.

**w**

Leia's always been one to get up early, usually a while before Luke, and that's especially true now when she has so much on her mind. Her coronation is going to be later this afternoon, and she has to be ready. Luke and Padme aren't up yet, but she isn't surprised to find that Anakin is.

"Do you always get up at this ridiculous hour?"

"Do you?" Anakin asks, dryly.

She huffs out a breath, taking a seat next to him on the balcony outside – it's a perfect reflection of the time they had together at the Lake House. "Not always. But I have to be ready."

"You have prepared for this for a long time," Anakin reminds, "And I have always been up early, since Tatooine. I was used to it, then. It has never faded."

She scoots closer to him, leaning into his side, and he immediately wraps an arm around her. "I think you said that one time before." She knows so much of what her father lived on Tatooine has shaped who he is now, even so many years later, even when there's little of that life he remembers.

"How have you been, with Luke gone?" he asks.

A sharp pang runs through her. "It's hard," she admits. "I'm not used to it, but I'll be fine. I need to stay focused on Naboo now, anyway." She can't let herself be distracted by the desire to be with her family all the time, as frustrating as it is. So no, it's certainly not better at all that Luke isn't here, because he would very much help, but she doesn't want him or Anakin feeling guilty about it.

Luke already brought it up to her, and she'd assured him the same thing.

"I'm sorry I... left," he'd said, almost uncomfortably. It had upset her most they were never... remotely uncomfortable with each other before about anything, but they're living different lives now. "Are you okay?"

"I am," Leia had promised, "I wouldn't keep you from doing what you really want. You've been trying to figure out what that is for so long."

Luke looked truly relieved at that, and... she had never been gladder she had let him go, as much as it hurt.

"Father was so lonely," Luke had told her, "I didn't realize it until now that I've been with him so much. I had no idea the Jedi treated him like such an outcast."

"More than we already realized?"

"Much more. It's like he's not close with anyone there."

Leia couldn't even imagine what that would be like, given he left everything to become one of them. "I'm glad you can be with him," she'd said, and if this is making her brother and father happier, she would never complain.

"I know you do not have an easy time being so alone," Anakin replies, an obvious hint of concern in his eyes.

"Don't worry," she assures, squeezing his hand and he pulls her closer, "And we don't need to spend all our time together talking about it, either."

"Alright," he agrees, cheek pressed against the side of her hair – it's ridiculous how much tinier than him she is. Honestly.

"What did Mother seem so upset about earlier?" Leia asks, after a pause. She's been thinking about it from time to time, and...

Anakin sighs, something about him growing more serious. "I didn't mention this to Luke, but she was... upset with how he was speaking of the Republic. He was saying that he thought the Chancellor needed more power to make effective decisions that the Senate wouldn't, and she doesn't like how it seems Palpatine's opinions are rubbing off on him."

Leia frowns. So, it's one of those arguments again – Luke and Padme have always had... problems, but she can't believe her mother would say something like that about their grandfather. "He's hardly perfect, but he's our family, too," Leia replies.

"I know. I told her as much," Anakin answers, tiredly.

"She's been upset ever since he came back into the office, against... what was normally accepted before," Leia says. There's no number of terms for the Chancellor by law, but there is a generally accepted term number, so he shouldn't have been able to come back in office, but everyone wanted him. Leia knows why. The Republic had been falling further and further into chaos ever since he left office years before. "I don't think you need to take it too seriously."

Frankly, she thinks it's silly, even if she can understand both sides. Giving all power to a leader is always dangerous. That's why the Nubian Queen has so many advisors and not absolute power – the governor has a major role, too. But she knows why Luke would be so upset, and honestly, he's not a politician, so his opinions in that regard are hardly... life-threatening.

Speaking of which... "I probably ought to call Grandpa, when I have time," she muses. It's been a while since they've last spoken.

**w**

"I knew you could do it," Kier greets – she's speaking to her Alderaani friend over a holocall. He's one of the only people, other than her family, who know her real identity as Queen.

"Yeah," she replies, grinning. She's nervous, yes, but there's a part of her that's also confident she can do this. She spent years waiting for this. It will be hard, but worth it, for the sake of Naboo. "Have you heard anything from Amilyn yet?" Amylin Holdo is another friend of both of theirs from the Senate, though mostly, she's just Leia's, because everyone finds her weird. It's just the way she is, though.

"Not yet," Kier replies, "But I'm sure she'll be calling you as soon as she has the chance."

"Likely."

"Perhaps we'll meet in the Senate as strangers," he says, dryly.

"Maybe," she agrees, amused. "But that would probably mean I have something of... severe importance to be attending to on Coruscant, so I hope not."

"Fair point," Kier concedes, "But I imagine we'll be working together much to send aid to planets, so –"

Her comm beeps suddenly, with an incoming call. "I have to go, sorry," she tells him quickly, offering an apologetic smile.

"It's okay, we'll catch up later," he promises, a lingering, soft look in his brown eyes. There's something between them, even if she doesn't know... what it is. Doesn't know if she'll pursue it either, because she's not ready for anything like that, but maybe someday...

Leia nods, disconnecting the call to answer the next one.

Palpatine.

"Grandpa," she greets, grinning, "So, you did find the time to call me back."

"Have I not always found the time to speak with you?" Palpatine reminds.

"Of course," she replies, smiling. That's always been true for him. He's never been too busy to be around them, with very rare exceptions. Sometimes, now anyway, she almost doesn't understand why he takes so much time to spend with them.

"Congratulations on your election," he adds, "With your skill, none of your opponents could have stood a chance."

She can't help feeling slightly abashed at the amount of praise she's getting lately. "That's partly thanks to you."

"Yes," he agrees, "But you have always been talented."

He taught her a lot about politics when she was young. She'd often accompanied Padme to the Senate, of course, and learned a lot from watching Senate meetings – something Luke always got very bored with and started playing with his fighter instead or flying Lula around until a very annoyed Padme sent them both home – but as she grew older, much of the time she spent with Palpatine, he was teaching her about how to be the best leader.

How to watch the flux of others' emotions, and read their real interests – it helps that she can use the Force, too, and she's always had a strange, natural affinity for just knowing what another is thinking.

"Was it anything like this for you, when you got into politics?" Leia wonders.

Something about his expression shifts, as though... It's not something he much wants to discuss. "The Palpatine House was always very much into politics," he answers, and okay, she can see why he wouldn't want to talk about it, because she knows his family had been killed in a crash of some sort, so it makes sense he wouldn't really want to talk about it.

"Yeah, like my family," Leia muses. Padme had gotten into it because Ruwee always had been in it on a more minor scale. That, and the mandatory Youth Legislative program. It's somehow weird to imagine Palpatine attending that when he was young. "Did you attend constant political meetings when you were little, with your parents?" she asks, mostly out of idle curiosity. He never talks about himself. He only ever asks about them. It's weird.

And even if his expression changes little, she can still somewhat sense the flux of his emotions. He's upset, even if he's not showing. "As required. I learned very little from them."

"Oh." She probably shouldn't have mentioned it. "I didn't mean to bring up something..." She trails off, searching for the words.

"It has been many years since then. It matters little," he replies. It's the same way he always talks, but something about the tone implies he has no interest in continuing the conversation any further. "If there are any... politics you require assistance with, you may always make a direct call to me."

The pros to being so close with the Chancellor, even if it's not a relationship she wants to use with that. "I will, if need be," Leia promises, anyway. Although she doesn't know that she'd want to bother him, either way. Everything has gotten so much more complicated with the war, and she knows he has his hands more than full. She's going to be much the same shortly, too. There's a lot of work to be done.

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