AN: Okay. For those of you not in the discord who didn't get to see the lovely rising from the dead posting I made, I shall give the cliff notes of what transpired.

Recent Star Wars Projects, particularly a certain part of Episode 5 of Ahsoka, have started to rekindle how I used to feel about the series before Episode 8 and 9 killed it for a while. I have not written in some time, but want to get back into writing, and want to at least finish the projects that meant the most to me.

This series, which people who know me have heard me refer to as My Baby, my favorite series that I'm most proud of, is at the top of my priority list. As such, I will ONLY be updating this one at an admittedly slow pace moving forwards, at least for a while.

I cannot promise a steady flow of chapters like in the golden days. I'm only halfway through my reread to get back in the mindset I was in before I went on my hiatus. There's already a few plot points I had that I want to workshop again. I've got some revamping for my plans that need to be done before I get much farther, some details I need to work out.

I felt confident posting this chapter next because I was halfway through it and thanks to a very emotional I've lost everything/my family DND character I have right now, I was already in a similar mindset that allowed me to still write this chapter.

I have to apologize again if characters seem a bit off for a while, it's been some time since I wrote my SW characters, and I may need to soak in some characterizations again for a bit before I can really hit my stride.

You will likely see one shots for Us Against the World instead of the next chapter for this, just because it feels safer to write the one shots while I get the sense of the characters again and I rework some of my plans, especially since the next chapter has a perfect setting for an idea I only have a vague concept of right now but need to figure out some details for and look back over some past events before I put it to words in a chapter. Plus, the one shots will give me the chance to knock off some rust and again, get used to characters I haven't written for in a couple years.

My discord people will likely hold me accountable going forwards since I'm serious about this, I even have a word counter channel where I post how many words I read each day and daily word count goals for the week.

I'm easing back into this, have patience with me in the meantime, it's going to be slow work since I have a lot of rereading and re researching and replanning to do before I feel confident in my plot again, and I'm out of practice writing and need to work back up to it, not to mention need to rewatch and finish some of the shows to both remind myself of the state of the galaxy, events and other factors in the galaxy leading up to where we are now, maybe even get some ideas. Your girl here used to write these chapters in a day, two max. Right now I'm averaging about 1000-1500 words a day. We'll get there.

For now, I have this chapter I still felt confident in. And I will slowly work through the next chapter while doing my research and planning, and maybe even get a few of my one shots out for Us Against the World, as well.

Be gentle with me, I've only just dipped my toe back into the water about three or four days ago, and I'm working on it 3

*Zelina's POV*

As they pulled out of hyperspace and the sight of Naboo materialized in front of Zelina for the first time in twenty years, the reality of this visit started to fall over her. Apparently, Luke was having his own realization next to her, based off the sense she was picking up on from his tumultuous Force presence. Of course, she had yet to tell him what specifically they were doing here. Right now, his mind had to be buzzing with theories on what they were doing visiting his mother's home planet, and what Zelina wanted them to do while they were here that would become impossible if they waited too long and became too entangled with the Rebellion.

Zelina, of course, knew. And she felt a tremor in her hand and a tightening in her throat as she guided the ship into atmosphere. Hailing one of the public spaceports in Theed to get a legitimate place to land and keep their borrowed ship, Zelina glanced over at Luke's restless form between the flying.

"We have to go somewhere outside of Theed, first, and talk to someone that will help us get where I want us to go. After that, we'll come back into Theed, and then somewhere else entirely for the rest of our stay here," she explained to him quietly. "If anyone asks, we're tourists come to see the legendary beauty of Naboo. You can say we're from a more barren planet and suggest that it's a gift for your twentieth birthday because you haven't been off the planet before. It's not far from the truth and easy to remember, so it'll be easier to sell the story."

Luke nodded. "Are you going to give me more on our schedule, or…?"

"I'd prefer to leave each part as a surprise. Don't worry, if all goes well, we should be able to get to each place today. That's why I insisted you rest before we arrived." Zelina glanced back at his Tatooine garb, and her own worn rags that she'd fashioned into armor before but was now noticeably missing, fashioning the wrap into a shirt for the time being since she'd wanted to show up on Naboo looking like a citizen and not a mercenary of some sort. "We'll have to stop at a shop and get some Naboo-fitting clothes, first. We might be playing the part of tourists, but even I hate how much of a sore thumb we'll be if we stay like this."

Luke leaned back in his seat, watching the clouds give way around them as they rapidly descended towards Theed. "Of course," he answered mechanically, his gaze fixated instead on the sight in front of them. Yavin had been one thing with its dense green jungle, but this was lush green fields and forests with large glistening bodies of water and gleaming marble buildings. Absolutely breathtaking compared to the ruins and jungle of Yavin, and a fever dream to the eyes of someone who had spent so much of their life on Tatooine.

Zelina didn't interrupt his eager staring, letting him drink in the sights in peace without any distractions. This trip was about him, anyway.

While Luke was taking in the sights of Naboo that could be seen from the viewport, Zelina guided their borrowed craft to their assigned hangar, talking softly with Artoo in order to disturb the peaceful silence as little as possible while they descended. Luke didn't snap out of his fixation until the walls of the hangar blocked his view of the world outside, causing his gaze to instead focus on Zelina, naturally looking to her for guidance since, once more, he found himself far out of his element.

"Stick close to me," Zelina said as she powered everything off, standing up from her seat with Artoo tootling cheerfully behind her, taking the spot directly behind her as they started to file off the ship. "You can look all you want, though. It fits our narrative just fine for you to satiate your curiosity. Just don't wander, and save the shopping and sightseeing for when we're done with what we came here to do."

Luke nodded, but refrained from saying anything since they were met with a customs agent a few feet from the ship. Zelina spun her story, complete with fake identification she'd been sitting on for some time from her secret stash back on Tatooine. It was believable enough, especially with the aura of raw curiosity and excitement they could probably feel emanating from Luke behind her. They were let through without any suspicion, at least none that Zelina could sense, and she guided Luke as well as she could through the spaceport and to the exit.

Like it or not, things had changed in the last twenty years since she was here. She couldn't exactly depend on the hazy memory of the day she'd separated from everyone at the spaceport to go into hiding and start new lives under the Empire.

Once they left the spaceport, the light and gleaming marble and greenery of Naboo unfolded before them again, and Zelina pulled Luke aside for a nearby clothes shop, buying them both lighter, fitting Naboo clothes. She was done up in flowing lilacs and blues, while Luke had more fitted earthen tones and more casual attire that seemed fitting for a student or a practical civilian of some kind. Once dressed as the locals, Zelina started to attempt to lead them through streets she had long forgotten, hoping to supplement the gaps in her memory of the place she'd visited when she was sixteen with promptings from the Force. Though considering this wasn't life or death, it was hard to get a read on direction from the Force in this, with the relationship she'd forged between herself and the Force more combat and danger related, and more meditative with battle and the future than 'do I take a left or right at this next fork?'

After several wrong turns, and quite a bit of traveling for on foot considering their first destination was far outside Theed, they finally arrived. Zelina poked her head out from under the stone tunnel, gazing at the stairs that curved out of view on the way up to the stone mansion above. Now that she was here, she felt a swell of nerves and doubt. Was she really doing the right thing? No…no, even if the second part wasn't the wisest, she still needed to come here for the sake of their other destinations.

Zelina took a deep breath, then let it out slowly and shakily, turning to Luke. "Stay here with Artoo. Find something to do, but stay nearby. I'm going to go up to the house. If I need you, I'll call for you."

"Why are we here?" Luke asked quietly. Zelina was just glad Artoo wasn't letting out a stream of whistles and beeps and was keeping any recognition of where they were to himself.

"We'll see what happens and I might tell you. If things work out, you'll get an explanation. If not…we'll just improvise the rest."

Before Luke could ask anymore questions, Zelina slipped around the corner and up the steps, making sure there wasn't anyone around to notice her presence as she went straight to the front door and knocked.

After a few moments, the door opened, and a white-haired older gentleman she had only met once answered the door. Recognition didn't immediately spark in his eyes, his thin eyebrows furrowing together as he stared at her with confusion.

Initially.

"Mr. Naberrie," she said quietly, giving a bow much as she had back then in hopes that it might help jog his memory. "Let me start by saying I'm not here to make trouble," she said carefully, straightening up and meeting his gaze head on. It seemed the recognition was starting to kick in. The last time they'd met, Zelina had been sixteen about to turn seventeen, and now she was about to turn forty. It was quite a leap in time—no wonder he didn't immediately recognize her.

Not to mention it had just been that one day that they came to visit while protecting Padmé. All he had to go off were those few hours of that one day.

"If you truly meant that, you wouldn't be here. We both know what the Empire does to Jedi," Ruwee said firmly in a quiet voice, getting ready to shut the door.

"It's about your daughter. And it's important," Zelina said quickly before he could shut the door. "I'm not here to intrude my presence or anything, just talk, and then I'll be on my way."

Ruwee locked gazes with her, and she could see him weighing the dangers of having a Jedi in his home even for a brief talk against whatever she needed to say to him about Padmé.

Predictably, Padmé won.

"Quickly, before someone sees," Ruwee said with a slight sigh, stepping aside to let her inside the house. Zelina had hardly passed the threshold before the door clicked shut behind her.

"Is Jobal here, too? I think she'll want to hear this," Zelina asked as she stepped inside, looking to Ruwee for some indication of where he wanted her.

"I'll go get her. Go ahead and take a seat in the sitting room down that hall. And after you're finished it's probably best you leave," Ruwee said. "Our family has suffered enough, I don't want any more trouble brought upon it."

Zelina nodded. "I didn't plan on staying long, anyway," she assured him.

They split off, Ruwee going down one hall while Zelina went down another to find her way to the sitting room, avoiding looking at any pictures along the walls and pushing back the wave of nostalgic memories that being here on Naboo was starting to stir up. There would be plenty of time for that later, and it would be far more appropriate then, too.

A few minutes after Zelina had taken her seat, Ruwee and Jobal entered the room. Jobal had a tray with some light refreshments on it, which made perfect sense to Zelina, considering the last time she'd visited, she had taken hosting duties very seriously and insisted that no one leave her home hungry. "Jedi Du'ahn, an unexpected surprise. Or would it be Master now?"

"Neither, Ms. Naberrie. I don't think of myself as a Jedi anymore, all things considered," Zelina said concisely, taking the offered drink from Jobal with a soft thank you and waiting until everyone got settled.

Of course, that was when the old sadness entered their eyes, as Jobal took the initiative for the conversation. "You said you needed to talk about Padmé?"

"Yes…it may be a little difficult to hear, but please let me finish before you ask any questions," Zelina said, bracing herself as she sat her drink down on the table and took a preparatory breath before making sure she met the gaze of both Naberries.

"I was there when Padmé passed. And I'm sorry to say that the truth of what happened was covered up, to protect those still living who could get caught in the aftermath and crossfire. I know the official story is some nonsense about a ship malfunction and the resulting explosion, but that's not entirely true." Zelina took another breath, part of her sincerely hoping the Naberries wouldn't try to do anything foolish with this information. "The Emperor sabotaged her ship, and Padmé and Master Kenobi, who was trying to protect her from the Emperor's forces who were chasing them, were caught in the resulting explosion. Kenobi's injuries were survivable, but Padmé's…"

Zelina looked aside, trailing off and pushing aside the old guilt at her failure to protect Padmé. "The doctors gave Padmé a choice. They could only save her, or her baby. She chose to save her unborn child."

Shock blanketed the faces of both Padmé's parents. Ruwee looked like he was about to interrupt, but Jobal squeezed his arm to stop him, staring at Zelina with a pale face that was waiting for her to continue.

"The child didn't die that night. He survived. But, he was Force Sensitive. After what happened to the rest of the Jedi, and with who his parents were, we knew he had to be protected from the Empire. So the story was altered and it was claimed that mother and child had perished in the explosion, so that we could take him somewhere safe. We wanted him to be with family, but here on Naboo, on the Emperor's home planet in the heart of the Empire, with how strong of a presence he would have and how easily he would be sensed, it wasn't an option. So we took him to live with the other side of his extended family on a far more remote planet. I raised him there the best I knew how, until recently, when unforeseen events caused us to have to leave the planet."

Zelina folded her hands in her lap. "We got mixed up with the Rebellion, and it seems like a path we're going to continue on. He's been wanting to join the fight for some time, now, and it was an inevitability with how determined he was. However, before we reach a point of no return and our names and faces are out there, I wanted to bring him here to connect with his roots from his mother's side." Zelina locked eyes with Ruwee, and then with Jobal. "I know I said that I only came to talk, but I do have two requests to make. It would not involve intruding upon and bringing danger to your home. I want to take him to visit Padmé's grave, and then I was hoping you would allow us to spend a few days at Varykino."

"He's here? Our…our grandson?" Jobal asked in a whisper.

If only she could have made this trip with Leia, as well. They deserved to know about both children, especially with how much Leia resembled Padmé. But Leia's identity was still a secret for a reason, and she had to keep that secret even from Leia's own brother for now.

Perhaps another time in the future…hopefully not so distant. And Zelina would have to apologize for all the secrecy.

"Yes. He's waiting for me in the tunnel just outside. I had him wait because I wasn't sure how you would take the news, or if we would decide seeing him was the best move. He doesn't know I'm meeting with his grandparents, either. He just knows we're making a quick stop before we go to other unknown locations."

"Why wouldn't we want to see our grandchild?" Jobal asked in an almost angry tone, but Ruwee was staring hard at Zelina, and stopped his wife's anger with a gentle hand on the arm to calm her down.

"Because his identity is still dangerous. The more people know, the more that are in danger…and the greater the risk for the Emperor to find out." Ruwee sat back. "I'm pretty sure I know who his father is, too. Which makes all the secrecy make sense."

Zelina nodded. "It could…be dangerous, for you to have seen him. It's dangerous for me to even tell you he exists. But I figured, as his grandparents, you have the right to know he's out there. You didn't lose your grandchild, too…I'm sorry you had to wait this long to find out, though." Zelina sighed again, brushing hair out of her face. Either she needed to start putting it up again, or she needed to cut it, because it could become a problem in the future.

"I'll leave it up to you if you want to see him. Again, we're not going to be here long—"

"When were you planning on going to the tomb?" Jobal interrupted. Zelina grew quiet for a few moments, considering.

"I was hoping tonight. I want to get the riskier things out of the way, first, before we lay low at Varykino for a while. If you would allow it. I won't intrude if you're not comfortable with us being there for a while."

"You all spent quite some time there, years ago, before that pointless war ever broke out. I can see why you'd want to bring him there," Ruwee said quietly. "I'll allow it. I'll ask the servants not to tend to the place for a few days—"

Zelina shook her head. "That would be too noticeable. Let them come as usual. We'll just be sure to make ourselves scarce so we're not seen whenever they do come around. And we'll find our own way there. The less of a footprint we leave behind, the better."

"We can tell the guards at the tomb that there will be two visitors late tonight, and to let them pass. They won't ask for names or faces. Just come in green cloaks and remain silent with their questions, and they'll know to let you through," Jobal said with a firm nod.

Jobal looked at Ruwee, then, a timid look in her eyes. "I know it's dangerous, but…I would like to see him."

It seemed like Jobal was asking for Ruwee's permission, like she would defer to his judgment if the older man decided that meeting Luke was too risky, despite how much they wanted to.

"Whatever you decide, I made this trip solely for him. For him to connect with this side of his heritage. I think it will do him wonders. Especially considering the more…humble…roots on his father's side. The family we stayed with the past several years were related through marriage. There's really nothing else left of that line, and most of what happened on that planet regarding his father was tragedy. But here, there's blood relatives, and tangible, good memories of both his parents," Zelina chipped in quietly. It would seem she also wanted Luke to meet the Naberries, despite her reservations and the risk it posed.

But she also believed that the Naberries would not give up their grandson willingly, especially the grandson of their beloved and deceased daughter. She would just have to make sure she erased all traces of this trip. Crashed the ship into a volcano or something along those lines to destroy evidence when they went to their checkpoint.

Ruwee looked at his wife's pleading eyes, pondered Zelina's words, and then gave Zelina a small nod. "Bring him inside. It may have to be a short meeting, but we want to see him nonetheless."

Zelina nodded, then rose to her feet. "I'll go get him, then," she said quietly, giving Luke a prompting nudge in the Force as she headed to the door to let him in, knowing Luke would be waiting for her on the other side.

Luke stepped into the house a moment after Zelina opened the door, Artoo beeping insistently but thankfully at a lower tone as he tried to press his way inside, Luke looking at Zelina curiously. "Is something wrong or are things going well? You didn't give me enough details to know why you would call me in."

Zelina placed a hand gently on his back between his shoulder blades. "I apologize for throwing you into the emotional quicksand, but…you're about to meet your grandparents."

Luke stumbled, missing a step as he looked at Zelina in shock and Artoo ran into his legs, still being blindly guided forward. "What?"

Zelina didn't get a chance to say anything else before they entered the sitting room Ruwee and Jobal were waiting in, both getting to their feet as Luke entered the room. The only face that didn't contain traces of surprise or befuddlement still was Zelina's, the puppeteer to this little meeting. As Luke hesitantly stepped into the room and a sudden silence pressed upon them all, Zelina took a step back to distance herself from the family meeting, though she was close enough to still be making physical contact so Luke didn't feel entirely alone, her hand barely still between his shoulder blades.

Ruwee stepped up first, his pale blue eyes searching Luke's face carefully, looking for traces of his daughter. Luke held still, hardly breathing and enduring the man's probing gaze in silence. For a split second, Zelina was worried. Luke didn't exactly carry much of his mother's physical features. It was more Padmé's temperament and spirit, the feel of her, that lingered in him. Padmé appeared more in his traits and softer features than actual physical resemblance.

Leia was the one who looked more like their mother.

*Luke's POV*

Luke felt like he would crumble right in front of the stranger who was suddenly examining him with an intensity that made the reality of this situation all the more real. He desperately wished his mother had given him more of a heads up, but he wasn't exactly in the position to complain. The moment was already unfolding in front of him, and all he could do was stand up straight in front of his apparent grandfather, his heart pounding in his chest.

The man's gaze was narrowed and inquisitive, searching Luke's features down to the most minute details before they finally locked gazes. Luke and his grandfather stared at each other for several long, breathless moments before something shifted in both their demeanors. Luke suddenly felt a sense of calm washing over him, and recognition sparked in his grandfather's eyes.

"There she is…" he said softly, and for a moment, Luke was confused. Then…

Padmé…Mother…

In his eyes.

It looked like what his mother had said all those years ago about his parents living on in him had carried even more weight than he'd initially been aware. His grandfather could spot his biological mother in him by looking him in the eyes—even though Luke knew for a fact that he had his father's eyes. Yet there was something there that made his grandfather recognize his biological mother in him.
Luke held perfectly still as his grandfather reached out with a trembling hand, placing it tenderly against his cheek and causing Luke's breath to catch at the contact. "You really are her son, aren't you?" the man asked, voice wavering. "You're alive…it wasn't for nothing. You're…you're here."

A soft sob from behind his grandfather was the only warning Luke had before his grandmother was beside him, slipping into what space she could find and turning him to face her fully so she could get a good look at him. His grandfather let his hand fall to Luke's shoulder as Luke allowed his grandmother to cup his face in her hands as she searched his features to drink in every detail, tears flowing from her eyes. Still in shock, there was no resistance from Luke as she pulled him in for a surprisingly crushing hug for her slight stature, and his grandfather's arms wrapped around them both from the side. His grandmother's sobs seemed to resound in what little space there still existed between them all, even his grandfather's shoulders seemed to shake as he held onto them. That was when Luke felt his eyes burn and his throat close, returning the hug with still a hint of hesitance since he had not been expecting to suddenly be faced with family he didn't know he had that would have such a strong reaction to his existence. He couldn't see his mother in the tight embrace he was currently wrapped in, but he felt the roiling emotions surrounding her as she watched the reunion, before he felt her presence start to move away back towards the front door, away from the reuniting family and towards the foyer to give them privacy.

He didn't know how long the three of them stood there holding to each other before his grandmother pulled away first, enough to look back up into his face with tearful yet hopeful eyes. "We won't have long, but please, tell us about yourself. And what you know of our daughter. If a short time today is all we end up having to know our grandchild, with all there is to say, I want it to count for all of us."

His grandmother and grandfather walked the short distance it was to the sitting room seating and sat on either side of him, as if afraid if they moved too far from him, Luke would be no more than a mirage in a desert. Luke himself was still stunned, though now it was more from the emotions from the opportunity and the connection to his mother's side that he was officially experiencing. Luke's voice was softened with a reverent awe when he answered them, allowing the gesture as his grandmother gently took him by the hand.

"My name is Luke Skywalker…and I'm your grandson."

Dusk had already settled over the city by the time Luke and his mother finally left the Naberrie residence, his departure through the door and down the steps into the street feeling much like he was walking out of a dream. The surreal nature of it all kept him silent as his mother placed a gentle hand on his back to guide him back the way they came, allowing him to continue to linger in the moments he'd just shared with his grandparents. The stories that Ruwee and Jobal shared with him, the holos of his biological mother throughout her life he was blessed to see, the unique perspective of parents in relation to their child he was able to hear of his biological mother. His mother had told him dashing stories of a beautiful, brave Senator wielding a blaster and sharp diplomacy skills on the battlefield, a force of unbreakable determination fighting against a broken system for the good and rights of the people. His grandparents had painted a vibrant image of a compassionate young woman who loved dearly and served the people and the good of the galaxy wholeheartedly all her life, of laughter and color and gentleness.

The japor snippet around his neck had never felt heavier with the sudden understanding of the woman who had once worn it, the sheer love and compassion of the owner before him. He felt the weight of her death in a way he never could after growing up never knowing her, where the closest to her he got was a piece of jewelry and adventure stories. Now…now he felt the weight of the knowledge of the person who came before, and the absence of her presence in his life, more than he ever had. He had a face-a smiling, gentle face-and a vibrant image of life to go with the name.

And what still only felt like a beginning of the understanding of why his mother—the one who raised him—had always seemed so mournful when he was younger and she had still needed time to adjust to and accept being called his mother. With the wonderful person his biological mother had been, so full of life and gentleness and compassion with a will of steel, he could understand why his mother would grieve the thought of him not knowing her, as he now partially did, or why she could possibly feel that she had robbed a good woman of something that should have been hers.

He was starting to understand and feel the loss now in a way he never could previously. Now he could mourn what he lost shortly after his birth, with an understanding that at the very start of his story, he lost the opportunity to know a remarkable woman and to have her in his life.

That did not mean he felt less for the tender, steady hand that guided him through the gradually emptying streets of his biological mother's homeworld now. That, and despite the grief and the weight this new knowledge brought in a way he hadn't experience previously…Luke was grateful for this chance his mother had given him to truly know his biological mother, and to meet the blood relations he didn't know he still had out here. To know and sit and speak with them, even for a little while, even if that was all the time they would ever get.

Before the shops could start shutting their doors, his mother managed to find them a pair of dark green cloaks at one of the nearby stores, allowing themselves a few moments to pull them on and lift the hoods before his mother started guiding them once again. By now, Luke was coming back to himself, looking around at the backstreets she was leading them through that was bringing them farther and farther away from the center of Theed and closer to its outskirts on the opposite side of the city from his grandparents' home.

"Where are we going next?" Luke asked softly, one hand idly resting on Artoo's dome as the droid rolled along beside him. What in the name of the Force could his mother possibly have in store for him after that unexpected yet still momentous moment?

Zelina looked over her shoulder at Luke, face mostly shadowed by the cloak even with his close proximity from the way she was wearing it. "I'm afraid all of our destinations here will be a surprise. This next one, however, I need you to not say anything until we're inside. Once we are, only quiet and soft-spoken words. This is a place of reverence, and respect is a must."

Taken aback by that statement, Luke fell back into pondering his mother's words. His best guess was that they were going into some kind of temple, next. Obviously not a Jedi Temple, Naboo was at the heart of the Empire, and he didn't recall his mother ever stating that there was any kind of temple for the Jedi on Naboo...going into the palace as two Jedi-one a high profile one that would be desperately wanted by the Empire-was stupidity at its finest, and he was rather certain they would have been heading deeper into the city had that been the case, so he was certain that theory was incorrect...

Luke's puzzlement only continued as his mother led them far enough from the main part of the city that the houses were few and far between, with it mostly being foliage and the smooth paved walkway they were still on and nothing more. Until, eventually, Luke could see in the distance some building that stood tall and alone, the sole location of interest in its vicinity. It wasn't large and sprawling like a palace, and it wasn't insignificantly small, either. It was smaller than a house and a single story building, with columns and intricate carvings in its stone face. A quiet and a reverence was settled over this place they were drawing closer to, and his mother's steps suddenly seemed heavy as her presence, which seemed to be growing in its depth and sorrow as they drew near.

He couldn't ask her what this was about or if she was all right, either, because they were close enough he could sense that they were not the only ones here.

His mother had Artoo wait for them several meters away from the clearing, much to Artoo's displeasure given the whistles and beeps the astromech droid made while rocking in place. The attempt to garner his mother's sympathy and get her to allow him to come was unsuccessful, however, as Zelina simply gestured for Luke to step closer to her as they approached the front of this unlabeled but beautifully made and apparently guarded building. Despite the heaviness of her presence, Luke's mother approached with confidence, the attention of the two guards fixated on the two cloaked figures approaching their post in the darkness. Both guards stepped up when they approached, cutting off their path to the entrance.

"State your business," the one on the left asked sharply.

To Luke's surprise, his mother remained silent, simply gazing steadily back at the guard and continuing to outwardly radiate calm and confidence despite the heaviness in her heart.

At her complete silence, the two guards looked between the two of them, the one on the right's gaze flickering between their two green cloaks, and the one on the left gave a small nod. Whatever it was that had been communicated without any words spoken, both guards stepped aside briefly to allow them to enter. Despite being completely lost as to what was going on, Luke followed his mother as she led the way inside, the two guards stepping back into place once they had passed as if to block out anyone else that may come to this small building on the outskirts of Theed.

Once they were inside and the door had closed behind them…Luke had a sudden and complete understanding of where they were and what they were doing here.

Zelina made no sound as she stepped inside and off to the side in the silent chamber, allowing Luke to make his way deeper in and come to a slow halt once he took in the stain glass window the moonlight was causing to glimmer, the intricately carved sarcophagus lid preserving the image of the one who was laid to rest inside in more intimate detail than their regal figure depicted in the stain glass.

Somehow, she had gotten them undisturbed access into his biological mother's tomb. Likely when…

That didn't matter right now. The technicalities and the how didn't matter at all right now. For the second time today, Luke found himself gazing at the face of his mother, Padmé Amidala, except this time it was a face of stone preserving her in her last moments, in death, and the stain glass figure behind it that immortalized her time as Queen of Naboo. The flowers in the stone vases around the room were all fresh, showing that even nearly two decades after her death, her tomb was tended to with care, and frequently.

Luke stepped hesitantly up to the side of the sarcophagus, which rested on a two step raised platform, and let his gaze roam over the stone recreation of his mother's appearance at the time of her death. He could feel each painful beat of his heart in his chest as he took in her peaceful gentle features, the cascade of long curling hair that had been adorned in flowers at her final rest…

Her hands were resting over a baby bump…the proof of the lie that had allowed Luke to grow up in peace and safety from the Empire these past nineteen years. There was even a recreation of the japor snippet that Luke now wore around his neck carved into the relief, one that rested twined in her folded hands, falling into the stone recreation of the long flowing dress she'd been buried in.

Luke raised a slightly shaking hand to the stone lid, a soft exhale escaping him as he felt the cold of the sarcophagus beneath his fingers.

His mother's final resting place. Padmé Amidala was laid to rest right here. This was where she would remain…

Luke moved more towards the head of the sarcophagus, coming to kneel on one knee on the stone steps beside it as he gazed into the face of the woman he had never had the chance to know personally, only ever through stories, and now a few holos and artistic depictions. This was as close as he would ever get, here in this tomb, on his mother's home planet, right after visiting the grandparents he didn't even know he had for the first time…

It felt wrong that he had nothing to leave in the tomb, no offering for her. At least nothing physical that he could leave behind. He wanted to speak to her, unsure if she would hear him, even growing up with his mother's lessons of the Force connecting everyone, even in death. Now that he was here, unprepared…what was he supposed to say?

Perhaps he should start with the most important thing.

"Thank you," Luke murmured softly to the stone face, one hand resting gently atop the lid near where the carving of her hand was. "I wish I could have known you, truly known you…that you could have been in my life…but I am here because of you, because you fought for me, and chose me. I'll never forget that. And while I was not able to know you in my life…I will do what I can to make you proud, and try to take wisdom and guidance you may have given me from the stories I've heard of how you lived your life."

It was all he could think to say. He felt so much more, but at the moment, in this moment…it was all he could manage to piece together. After that…all he could do was continue to sit there in the silence and stare. Stare, wonder, and imagine what life could have been if the woman before him had been in his life. If tragedy hadn't struck his family so deeply and forced them into the situation that had caused all this loss long before he could even understand the weight of the concept of death. If his mother had lived. If his father had lived. If the Empire had never shattered the galaxy.

If his life had been one from his dreams and faint imagination, where he was sitting as a child in the laps of two bright and warm stars. Stars that wrapped him up in all their brilliance, spoke to him with soft words and gentle smiles, the sound of a fountain nearby, of clean linens blowing in the breeze and bright walls and floors and a sea of lights and a golden sunset…now he had a face for one of the stars. A gentle face, dark curls, and a laugh both known and unknown to him…

Luke didn't know how long he was kneeling there, lost in what could have beens that had more clarity than ever before with the pieces he'd been given today, but it was long enough his legs ached when he finally moved to stand, turning to see that Zelina had not moved from her spot in the dark corner by the door, allowing Luke as much privacy as she could give him without leaving the tomb and having to wait outside where she could be seen. He would have spoken to her, but it felt strange to speak to anyone but the dead in a place that held such a feeling of reverence. Plus, as Luke stepped away from the sarcophagus, his mother—the one that had raised him—stepped up to it, the heaviness in the room feeling denser as she approached.

He should not be here for this.

He didn't know why the feeling struck so suddenly and so deeply, but he knew that whatever was about to transpire was not something he was meant to see or hear. So, wordlessly, Luke stepped down the last stair of the platform, and quietly slipped out the door of the tomb. He only paused outside long enough to look up into the Naboo night sky and breathe in the fresh air, to steady himself before he started to walk back the way they came, only far enough to wait back where they had left Artoo, where he would not be too close in the vicinity of the tomb to be recognized as a visitor. That way when she was done with her private moment in the tomb, his mother would still be able to find him with ease.

And so he waited, casting his gaze out to the sea of green and the rich blue waters of his mother's home planet, breathing in the rich scent of the flowers in the air, the sound of the nocturnal birds coming out from their daytime rest…

A beautiful place to match a beautiful person.

*Zelina's POV*

There was a small part of her that felt guilty for making Luke depart his own mother's tomb, even if she had made no such requests. However, the overwhelming feeling inside of her was gratitude towards the young man to allow her privacy in order to finally have the last words and send off of her friend that she had been denied nineteen years ago thanks to the Empire's ruthless hunting of the Jedi at the time, and the need to get Luke somewhere safe while there was still an opening to do so discreetly in all the confusion.

Now she could have the goodbye she never had the chance to give, and do so with unrestrained emotions thanks to the private solitary of the tomb.

Well…one of the goodbyes, at least.

Once she was alone, Zelina carefully took up a place kneeling on both legs beside Padmé's sarcophagus, roughly level with the carved image of her interlocked fingers. Zelina's hands rested in her lap, fingers twined together as she gazed at the stone carving of her friend's face.

Whoever was responsible for the rendition had done an unsettlingly good job, the detail enough to seem almost like she was staring at the actual person simply asleep in a bed of flowers and fabric. At the moment, such detail served to make Zelina's throat close up and tears prick at the corners of her eyes before she even started speaking. All the words she wanted to say to Padmé seemed to lodge in her throat, crammed together and making it impossible to speak for the first few long, silent moment.

Then, in the still of Padmé's tomb, she began to speak. Slow and wavering, at first, struggling to get the words out. But once she started, they began to flow with greater and greater ease, until soon it was like talking to her old friend again—almost, if it wasn't for the ache in her heart, or the silence of the tomb aside from her own soft spoken words.

"I've done my best to raise Luke. And though he still has some lessons he needs to learn, he's turned into a fine young man…I hope you'd be proud of him, that I raised him in a way that would be what you wanted…"

She had much to say on Luke. Tales to tell, as detailed of a description of who he was as a person right now, what skills he showed, how much of Padmé and Anakin she saw in him, what he dreamed of, what he aspired to, what he found joy in…

"I've only known Leia for a short time, a very short time, but she's definitely yours and Anakin's. I thought I was seeing a ghost for a few seconds when I saw her, with how much like you she seems, and a politician to boot. But her attitude, her personality, feels like it's all Anakin…from what I've seen. It seems Bail and Breha did a good job raising her, too. She has strong morals and a fighting spirit, and she's been helping the Rebellion for some time now…"

Zelina's voice dwindled back to silence for a short time after she spoke of her recent impression of how Leia had grown, staring at Padmé's stone face and feeling the more painful things she needed to say start to crash over her in unforgiving waves, building up until there were tears streaking down her face, and though she knew it was stone and there was nothing to feel it, she reached out to place a hand over the hand of the figure of Padmé carved into the sarcophagus.

"I'm sorry I failed you and Anakin…" She whispered. "I tried…so hard. I promised that nothing would happen to you, that this family would be okay, and I…I failed at every turn. I couldn't do enough, I wasn't strong enough. I've done my best to do my best by Luke, and I hope it's enough…I hope it's okay that he calls me mother. I couldn't bear to hear it at first—all I could think was how it should have been you he was calling that, how I could never make up for what he lost in losing you, how I didn't deserve the title that should have been yours…it took a long time to finally be able to let him call me that, to stop correcting him after I saw how it hurt him when I did…I wish you were here, Padmé. You should be here. This shouldn't have happened, and…I miss you. I miss you and Anakin so much. And even though I failed you both at every turn when it mattered most, I'm doing my best not to fail you in this. If there's one thing I hold true to and do right, if there's one promise I manage to keep, I want it to be to protect and take care of your children, to make sure they live a full life and grow into people you could be proud of. Leia might be more out of my hands, but Luke…I've done my best with him. I hope it's enough. I hope you can forgive me for not being enough back then. I hope you're at peace. I hope you'll be proud of him, of who he's becoming. And I'm so sorry I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to stop a tragedy I'd been warned about for years. I'm sorry this is the best I can do…and I'll keep trying to do my best in what there is left for me to do. I don't know how much of me I have left to give, but…whatever is left, I'm going to give it all to making sure Luke turns out right and finds his way as safely as I can manage."

It took her a while, time that she spent in the silence that seemed to even swallow the tears on her cheeks, but eventually she managed to find the strength to make it to her feet once more. Her mournful gaze was fixed on the carved sarcophagus lid for several long minutes before she managed to raise them to the stain glass depiction of Padmé as a beloved queen. It had been ages since she'd done it, but as she stepped away, she gently clasped her hands into a traditional bow of respect for the Jedi, making sure it was deep and sincere and she held it for several long moments.

When she straightened, though her heart still ached from the grief, she felt a little lighter for finally being able to say what she hadn't been able to say all these years.

"Goodbye, Padmé. May you find the peace you deserved in life in the Force," Zelina said softly into the quiet of the tomb.

With a trembling hand, Zelina wiped away the tears that were still falling down her face, doing her best to stem the flow and dry any evidence she'd been crying. Once she was certain she was decent again, she lifted her hood and reluctantly left the tomb, closing the door quietly but respectfully behind her as she stepped outside, giving the two guards small head nods of respect before she continued away from the tomb, well aware she likely would not see it again in her life.

She hoped what she said in there was enough.

She hoped that in the future what she did would be a fraction of enough to make up for how completely she had failed Anakin and Padmé when it mattered in the past.

Luke wasn't too far away from the tomb—he'd walked with Artoo much farther than necessary to give her privacy, but still far enough that he wouldn't draw attention for loitering around the tomb of the beloved Queen. His hood was already up, and he was waiting with surprising patience for her to reach him, not looking until she was directly by him and therefore giving her plenty of time to compose herself by the time she reached him.

There were no words exchanged when Luke finally looked her in her eyes, just…an understanding that she was as ready to go as she could manage, and the two of them continued back the way they came in quiet somberness without discussing any of what had just transpired in the tomb.

Luke waited until they were at the outskirts of the more populated part of the city of Theed to speak again.

"What are we doing next?"

Zelina sighed, the sound soft despite the long drawn out exhale. "We find transport out to the Lake Country. I believe it was about two hours by speeder last I was here, though that was twenty years ago and with a Senator's transportation arrangements. For our trip, I want to find something rentable or something cheap we can buy rather than any kind of public transport, it's best if no one knows there's someone staying there…"

"Where's there?"

There was the smallest, gentle smile on Zelina's face, memories of flower rich fields and grand waterfalls, soft beaches and the night she lived off for years when it came to her unrequited pining for Anakin for so long…the last true undisturbed happy time before war ravaged the galaxy and the people in it.

She looked over at Luke, a softness in her gaze. "Varykino. We're going to stay at Varykino for a little while."

AN: I am aware that Padme's tomb in this chapter is described differently than in art both in canon and in legends. However, I based it off a blend of the legends mausoleum, and also a fanart of Vader visiting Padme's tomb that I ADORE the imagery of, and came up with my own interpretation of it.

For those of you wondering why the sarcophagus would have the japor snipped carved into it when she wasn't buried with it since Zelina had it, in Padme's death scene, which Bail, Satine, Yoda, and Obi-Wan witnessed, there was the passing of the japor snipped from Padme to Zelina, underlining that it was important to her, therefore when arrangements were being made, Bail (most likely) in my mind probably made mention of it to whoever carved/made the sarcophagus. That's why it's in the carving even though she was not buried with it.