Friday's child is giving.
"To whom much is given much is expected" New Testament, Luke 12:48
…good in everyone," her mother taught her, voice gentle as Leia asked questions after watching her mother pass judgement in court. "That does not mean we excuse their crimes, nor overlook the harm they have done or will do. It means respecting that they have the capacity for both good and evil and have made a choice. We have been given much and with that comes a great duty."
Her parents' lessons had been with her when she had traveled to Coruscant the first time to take her place in the Imperial Senate. Yet despite their words she was unconvinced especially after she met the emperor. She always believed he was a villain, he and Vader both. That day she could practically feel the evil radiating off of him. It was the same and different with Vader. The emperor was like the seaweed that caught around her ankle when she swam as a girl, slimy and deceptively placid. Vader was like a fortress, solid and foreboding. She remembered the stories her parents told her of dark castles the hero had to storm to rescue the long-held prisoner.
Evil but good, villains but heroes, sacrifice but victory. She wanted to laugh now because clearly they were caught up in one of those stories. She thought of Sleeping Adonis. Palpatine was the brambles and Vader the wall or perhaps the dragon. Within democracy was held, not dead, but merely sleeping. Leia was the homeless princess who lost her rich jewelry and ornaments, her hair and clothes torn and disheveled. But the thorns were being cut, the wall scaled, the dragon wounded, the end in sight. She gave so much already; to give up now would make all she surrendered, all that was stolen from her, meaningless. So she pressed on.
Luke, though, clearly saw himself in Zelinda and the Beast. His surrender would allow him within the fortress and his unconditional love would redeem the monster. His father. Their father. Her father. Oh Force.
Please no. No. Absolutely not. Bail Organa was her father, no one else. He gave her a home, gave her a purpose and unconditional love as well. Her birth father gave her life, but he gave her pain and death as well. She would not accept that creature affecting her family any more!
Except Luke was still hovering. He was telling her, not asking her permission but wanting her to give her blessing. Immediately her commander's mind gave innumerable reasons for their only Jedi to stay, but drowning out her thoughts were the screams of her heart, not wanting to lose her only brother. She lost her parents, her planet, her people, her home, her friends, everything she had that was not on her back that horrible day. Was the Force truly asking her to give up the last member of her family as well?
Recte, nguu, kasa, henka, da, ie, yes.
He left her there. Alone. Han came out and she threw her arms around him. She wept for all she had given and all that was taken. She held onto him and prayed that she would not lose her boys as well.
Except she might. Some people had lost even more than she. Who was she to say no, this is too far, you cannot have them, take from someone else, I will give no more when it was her duty to give? Yet the Force was strong in their family. Perhaps it would pity her and spare her boys.
Let it not demand payment from them for their father's sins. Let it not ask her to give any more. Let it not ask her brother to give up his life in the same way he chose to give himself over to their father.
"Princess?" then when she didn't respond, "Leia? Is there anything I can… What do you need from me?"
"Everything. Nothing. Just…" she trailed off as warmth filled her. When she was a child everything was given to her, as an adult she was constantly asked to give. And here was someone who grew up with nothing and was offering to give her anything she asked for. "Just hold me."
Relaxing into arms that felt like home she felt her terror slowly fade. Soon she would have to go, she knew. So close to the end it was her duty to lead. For now though she watched the moon and waited for…