Ahsoka took a deep breath and leaned back in the seat of the small two-person spacecraft, exhaling a long sigh of relief. From beside her, Cody squinted and manually steered them through the field of asteroids.

"So what are you doing out here, on the edge of the Outer Rim?" Ahsoka asked.

"I could ask the same of you," Cody replied.

"Well, I was on a mission," Ahsoka replied. "Top secret Rebel business. Now you tell me your reason," she nodded.

Cody sighed. It seemed that despite Ahsoka no longer being his commanding officer, some things would never change.

"Just some busy work," he replied. "Had a funny feeling. Decided to go for a drive. Then I found you," he said simply.

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. He was definitely omitting something, but she decided to give him some time before probing deeper.

"I see," she said quietly. "Well, I'm extremely grateful that you did, Cody. If you hadn't, I don't think I would be alive to tell the tale. I owe my life to you."

"You are most welcome, Commander," Cody smiled, although there was a hint of something that caused him to waver slightly. Ahsoka decided it was best to skirt around the subject.

"You know," she decided to change the topic, "I was actually on a mission with someone special. Wanna guess who?"

Cody smiled awkwardly. "Was it General Skywalker?" he asked. Those two were always inseparable as kids. They were practically brother and sister, as far as the 212th was concerned.

Ahsoka's face fell and Cody immediately felt a twinge of guilt. "No," she said. "General Skywalker is...dead," she said slowly, as if the words themselves were strange to her.

Cody nodded silently, his face darkening. "I see," he said solemnly. "I'm...sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said. "I miss Anakin too. But no, I was actually talking about Master Kenobi. You see, I was sent on a mission to rescue him-"

General Kenobi.

The name brought a wave of feelings and emotions to Cody that was so strong he almost let go of the ship controls.

Old memories flooded his mind. General Kenobi, protecting him from a dangerous blast that could have killed his life. General Kenobi, smiling and bantering wittily as he fended off the Separatist's attacks. General Kenobi's warm smile greeting and thanking him as he handed his lightsaber back to him.

And then, the day he pointed a blast at him that could nearly have taken his life.

Cody squeezed his hands tightly, gripping the controls hard enough that they began to tremble. "I...I see," he said, his voice shaky. "So, General Kenobi survived as well?"

"Yes," Ahsoka said. "By the way, I was wondering, what have you been doing all this time? It's been quite a few years since we last saw each other. Have you gotten up to anything?"

"No."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," Cody said.

"Then what do you do all day?"

"Circle the edge of the Galaxy. Look for lost or wandering ships, bring the survivors to a safe place. Refuel. Then I leave."

"Really?" Ahsoka asked. "Then, you must've found a home somewhere on one of the planets or systems that you've hopped, right?"

"No," Cody shook his head. "I don't settle."

"Why not?"

"I prefer not to stay in the same place for too long," he muttered. "The Outer Rim is good enough for me."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "I see..." she said doubtfully.

"I prefer to stick to my own space. Out here where no one can bother me, and I don't have to worry about anyone else."

"Then...have you ever run into any of your brothers?" Ahsoka asked curiously. "I'm sure you're not the only survivor."

Cody flinched slightly and coughed to hide it. "Can't say I have," he shook his head. "Not a problem though. All I need is a ship and some rations, and I'm perfectly happy in my own company."

"Really?" Ahsoka asked, surprised. "But you've always been surrounded by others," she said. "Doesn't it get lonely, being by yourself all the time?"

"No."

Ahsoka stared at him then looked down, noticing the way his hands were shaking slightly. "Cody," she said gently. Cody squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"You don't seem to be," Ahsoka said.

"I am fine," Cody gritted his teeth. "You said you needed to get to Alderaan? I can drop you there and be off in minutes if I increase the hyperdrive-"

"Cody, no," Ahsoka said. "I want to talk to you," she said, placing her hand firmly on his and stopping him. "Tell me what is troubling you."

Cody tried to shake her off, but her grip remained strong. "Can't hide anything from you Jedi, huh?" he asked gruffly.

Not a Jedi, Ahsoka automatically opened her mouth to say then stopped herself. "Well. Old habits die hard," she replied. "So, what's on your mind? Why are you reacting this way?"

Cody hesitated. "I don't...exactly have the best relationship with the General," he said slowly. "Or the Jedi. Or whatever is left of my brothers."

Ahsoka cocked her head to the side. "Tell me more about it."

"I don't think anyone would understand."

Ahsoka shrugged. "Trust me, whatever you have to say, I am ready to handle it. I've already survived multiple attempts on my life at this point," she revealed. "Even by Anakin." Cody blinked in shock, opening his mouth to ask a question before stopping himself. Ahsoka looked back at him and made direct eye contact. "Yes, you heard correctly," she said slowly. "I won, by the way. If we're keeping record."

General Skywalker...

Why would he ever try to kill Commander Tano? She's his sister. He wouldn't...

Was General Skywalker...also manipulated? Cody thought desperately.

He didn't know of anything like the mind-controlling chip being placed into non-clones, but maybe...

"It's a long story," Ahsoka said, "And if you've been spending this whole time in the Outer Rim, then it's no wonder you haven't heard of it. But if there's one thing we do have, it's time. How about this; you tell me your story, and I'll tell you mine. Deal?"

Cody hesitated. "Deal," he said slowly.

"Good," Ahsoka said, before nodding and propping up her chin on her hands. "You may begin."

Tell us a story, Cody! Two voices called out to him, insisting stubbornly and surrounding him. We want to hear one of your battle stories! What do you and Rex get up to when we're not there?

It felt strange, speaking to the Commander without the General. Or without General Kenobi. They were always a package deal, after all.

Cody took a deep breath and sighed.

"Yes, Commander," he said.

"Not Commander," Ahsoka corrected him. "It's just Ahsoka now."

Cody smiled. "Fine, then," he said. "Ahsoka it is."

"Welcome home, Princess."

Leia looked over nervously at Obi-Wan and he squeezed her left hand, smiling at her reassuringly. Reva also absentmindedly patted her on the head, and Leia tightened her grip. Together, the three of them followed Rex as they proceeded forwards towards the royal palace.

It felt strange, being back and seeing the tall synthstone buildings of Alderaan again. Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself for whatever was to come. But she still could not bring herself to lift her head.

"We've brought the girl, Your Highness," Rex said suddenly, his voice gruff and formal. Leia looked down at her dirty shoes, breathing heavily.

"Thank you, Fulcrum," Bail Organa said, his voice equally as strange and formal. "You are now dismissed. You may leave whenever you wish." Rex bowed and walked away.

Bail Organa looked up from his position across the room. Leia immediately froze, keeping herself standing still. Obi-Wan and Reva watched both of them nervously, trying to gauge their reactions. Bail Organa opened his mouth and said something to Obi-Wan, who responded in turn with equal politeness and formality. Leia keep her eyes glued to the ground.

When she was a baby, Leia was confused by how her father's demeanor would change around other diplomats or foreign dignitaries. She even used to complain to him that she didn't like how he sounded, and cried until he felt guilty and reassured her that he would not use the "scary voice" around her anymore.

But now, she was grateful for it. She would rather listen to distant, measured words. She could not handle being genuine now.

"In that case, I suppose we should also leave," Obi-Wan said. Leia's eyes snapped open and she stared fearfully as Reva and Obi-Wan started to let go of her hands and moved back. "Leia will be wanting to speak privately with her father, I'm sure-"

"No!" Leia hissed, grabbing onto their clothes. Reva and Obi-Wan both immediately stopped short. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Red-faced, she looked back down at the ground. The back of her neck burned hotly as she felt the attention of several adults on her. Her father's, in particular, was the most painful.

Bail Organa frowned but did not say anything. Does she not want to see me? He thought silently to himself. The thought troubled him greatly, and his heart instantly sank into his stomach. However, he did not want Leia to think that he was trying to manifest undeserved pity in order to make her forgive him, so he decided to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

Seeing the stern look on her father's face, Leia found herself unable to explain anything. Obi-Wan hesitated as if he was too confused to react properly. Reva, however, was a bit more understanding.

"We can stay here if you want," she said. "You can just tell us when you us to leave and we'll go."

Leia looked up at her hesitatingly. After thinking it over for a few seconds, she nodded silently. Reva straightened back up.

"Okay," Reva said. She looked up at Bail Organa and the two of them made eye contact awkwardly. "I think we should lay down some simple rules," she said, trying to call forth the commanding and intimidating air that had earned her the fear and awe of Tatooine back when she still wore the Imperial symbol on her armor. "No crowding her, no overwhelming her. Don't ask her anything she doesn't want to talk about, if she says no then drop it. Got that?" she asked. Leia nervously chewed a piece of her hair and leaned back against Reva, squeezing her hand.

Bail Organa nodded. "Of course," he said, trying to sound as accommodating as possible. It hurt to watch Leia, who used to be so close to him, suddenly distancing herself as if she was afraid. However, he was willing to push down whatever pain it caused him so long as it meant he could still talk to her. "I agree completely."

"Good," Reva said. Kneeling down, she made direct eye contact with Leia. "Do you want to talk to him?" she asked.

Leia looked back at her, letting the piece of hair fall from her mouth. It was a bad habit that her mother had always scolded her about when she was a baby. But now, given how nervous everything was making her feel, she wasn't even thinking about that right now.

Reva tried again. "Do you want to talk to him?" she asked, and Bail Organa held his breath. "If you want, we can leave and take you to your room for a nap. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

Leia hesitated for a moment, then nodded silently.

"Are you sure?" Reva asked.

Leia looked back at Bail Organa and he held still, hoping that whatever she saw of him did not intimidate her. She hesitated again, wavering back and forth.

Reva frowned, and she began to stand up, ready to tell Bail Organa that he could leave now. However, he beat her to it.

"That is enough," Bail Organa said firmly but in a soft tone so as not to scare the child. "I will leave now, but perhaps Breha is still awake. If you wish to contact me, I will be in my usual quarters."

Both Leia and Reva stopped and stared at him, confused.

"I do not wish to force anyone to speak to me when they are clearly uncomfortable," Bail Organa said. "It is not my place to ask for forgiveness, when it is my own fault that Leia was put in such a dangerous situation. I cannot in good will force her to speak to me knowing this. I will retire, and ask my wife to take care of her in my place."

Suddenly, the spell that was holding her back finally broke and Leia stood up rigidly. "No!" she said. "Don't!" she said fiercely, and Bail Organa stopped. "Don't just...try to leave and make it all go away," she said, frustrated at how her words were not working the way she wanted them to. "I'm not just a toy that you can ignore and leave when it's inconvenient," she spat.

Bail Organa froze, although he seemed more surprised than anything. Obi-Wan and Reva also had wide eyes, but they quickly got over it and kept silent. Bail Organa looked down and calmly met Leia's heated gaze.

"I won't leave," he said slowly. "If you would like me to stay, then I will."

Leia glared at him. "Of course I want you to," she said angrily. "You haven't seen me in almost two months, and you don't want to talk to me? What is wrong with you?" she yelled.

She realized that she was shouting, which was not very polite, and which meant she was not a good girl. She also had a sinking feeling that she was taking her anger towards Vader out on the wrong person. But she didn't care about any of that anymore. All she wanted was for her father to finally approach her and speak to her like his daughter, and not some visiting ambassador that he had to walk on eggshells and be polite with.

She wanted him to be distant. She wanted him to break off his royal mask and show that, maybe somewhere deep down, he was just as frantic and desperate to have her back in his arms as she wad to be in his. All of her feelings were so contradictory and Leia could not figure out how to pull herself together. You are not a baby anymore! She scolded herself. Why are you being such a mess?

"I do want to talk to you," Bail Organa said forlornly. "I miss you more than anything I've ever had in my life. But I don't know if I deserve to call myself your father anymore, not after what happened to you."

That did it for her.

Leia let go of Reva's hand and stomped over to him, causing him to step back in surprise. "So that's it?" she demanded furiously. "You're too guilty to take responsibility for what happened and be my father again? Am I supposed to parent myself now?"

Bail Organa opened his mouth, speechless with shock.

Leia let out a sob and Bail Organa's hands immediately flew frantically towards her, instinctively trying to reassure her. Leia let his big warm hands gently stroke her cheeks as he tried to wipe away her incoming tears. "I was so lonely," she whispered, "I thought you didn't want me anymore. That you would forget me and just adopt someone else."

"Leia," Bail Organa gasped. "I would never. Leia, you are my only daughter," he said seriously. "All the riches and the power in the world have no meaning to me if I can't use them to save you. I could never replace you, not even if I tried, and I have absolutely no desire to," he said softly.

It was stupid, but some part of her was relieved to hear that he was not planning to replace her anytime soon. Leia sniffed and wiped her face on her sleeves. "You better not," she hissed. "I'd get super jealous if you ever adopted another daughter. I would come back from the dead to haunt and bully her until she left."

"I won't," Bail Organa reassured her.

"Promise me you won't leave me, ever."

Bail Organa shook his head. "I can't promise that," he mumbled, "But I will always love you, no matter what. Even if you grow to hate me. Even if we get into a fight. I'll always be your silly, old father."

He then knelt down so she could throw her arms around his neck, just like she used to whenever she wanted him to pick her up. Leia immediately latched onto him and he made sure to hold her securely before he lifted her up into the air, carrying her as he had done a million times before.

"I missed you," she mumbled forlornly, burying her small head into his chest.

"I missed you more," Bail Organa murmured softly, patting her on the head and kissing it gently.

Reva and Obi-Wan looked over at the two of them. Reva wanted to turn away because of how hard her eyes were watering, but she resolved herself to stand straight and not look away. Obi-Wan noticed this and hesitantly reached out towards her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Reva stiffened slightly as if she had not been expecting him to comfort her, but she did not push him off.

After some time, Leia closed her eyes and laid her head onto Bail Organa's shoulder. Bail Organa silently patted her on the back and finally turned around to face Obi-Wan and Reva.

"I think I'll put this one to bed," he said, nodding over at them. "You are welcome to stay here in the Royal Palace, or wherever you wish. Alderaan welcomes you."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan nodded. "But I would prefer somewhere a little less bright and noisy, if you don't mind. Do you have any rooms that would fit this criteria?"

An awkward silence ensued.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Reva snorted. "Were you raised in a cave or something?"

Obi-Wan shut his mouth, restraining himself from retorting that actually, he did spend ten years living in a cave and it was perfectly fine, thank you very much. Now that he was approaching a certain age, however, it was no longer becoming of him to start arguments with twenty-three-year-olds. He decided the best solution was to remain silent.

Bail Organa paused, as if he was musing something. "I'll see what we have," he said pensively.

With that, he walked her slowly back to her room. Leia slept soundly, continuing to drool on his shoulder as he rearranged her bed, replaced it with fresh new sheets and fluffed the pillows for her. She only stirred slightly as he laid her down to rest in the soft bed.

"Wait," she mumbled, trying to sit up and fight through the haze of sleep that was just about the take her down with it. "Forgot...we forgot someone."

"Shh," Bail Organa said. "Please don't overexert yourself, dear."

Leia opened her mouth and tried to form the words. There was a name...someone, someone that started with an A. It was right on the tip of her tongue, but her fatigued body could not keep up with her brain. She kept mouthing it but no sound came out.

"Shhh," Bail Organa said again, tucking her in and wrapping the thick blankets around her as he pushed the stray hairs out of her face. "I will tell your mother that you have returned safely. She'll stay with you tonight."

No, I want both of you to stay, Leia wanted to argue, but her mouth was too wobbly to speak.

"It's okay," Bail Organa said, gently patting her hand. "I will stay here too," he said, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her. "And I will keep the light on all night. Just sleep for now, Leia. We can take care of this in the morning."

Leia closed her eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.

Help, Leia called out into the darkness. Help me, someone, please! I need you!

The darkness swallowed her, unyielding and unforgiving. But Leia was desperate. She kept calling out, crying and screaming into the void. She would keep doing it until her throat was raw from yelling. She would keep doing it until her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"What's wrong, little one?" A voice asked, and Leia stopped crying. "Why are you crying so loudly?"

Leia inhaled shakily. "I'm looking for my friend," she babbled. "I promised that I would look for her once I got back, but I forgot to and now I don't know where she is-"

"Calm down," the voice said, and Leia looked up, trying to see through the surrounding darkness. "You're speaking too fast. What do you need?"

Leia frowned. "Why should I tell you?" she asked crossly. "You're not even real."

"Yes I am," the voice replied. "You can hear me, can't you?"

"But I don't see you," Leia said. "So how can I know you're really there?"

"Of course I am, silly," the voice replied and a hand materialized out out of the darkness, reaching towards her. She immediately yelped and jumped back. "Don't you want me to help you?" the voice asked, sounding a little hurt. "I thought that's why you were yelling at me to come."

Leia stared at the offered hand for a second then slowly reached out and took it. It was much larger than hers and unusually cold. Something about this person's fingers was not quite right. She tried to remember what it reminded her of, but she did not know.

"Good girl," the voice said, sounding pleased. Then she felt the hand tug her forwards.

Leia stumbled forwards, barely catching her balance as she was pulled out of the darkness.

"There you are," the voice said. "See? Wasn't that easy?"

Leia looked up at the person holding her hand. Standing beside her was a man with long curly brown hair. Brown hair the exact same shade as hers. He seemed familiar, though she could not quite remember where she had seen him before.

As she looked closer, she also saw a scar on his left eyebrow that made her shiver. The man seemed to notice this. "I got it during a fight," he said simply. "I won, of course. If we're keeping record."

Leia narrowed her eyes at him.

"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm Ani," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Who are you?"

Leia decided she did not want to trust him with her real name just yet. "I'm a Princess," she said haughtily. "And if you want to address me, you should call me "Your Royal Highness" or "Your Majesty.""

The brown-haired man did not seem fazed at all by this demand. "Princess, huh?" he said. "I happen to know someone who was a queen. Might you two possibly be related?"

Leia shook her head. "Not all royal monarchs are related to each other," she scoffed. "She was probably from a different planet."

"Ah, pity," Ani said, though he didn't seem terribly upset about this. "You just kinda remind me of her, that's all. I think you look alike, or maybe I just think so because I can't remember what she looked like. But either way, you are both royal, so that must mean you share something in common."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Anyway," she said. "Why are you in my dream? And what are you doing here?"

Ani shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said. "Sometimes I just wander around until I forget what I was thinking about. Other times, I try to remember how I got here, but I always get stumped. I guess now that I've found you, maybe I'm supposed to guide you somewhere."

"Of course you're supposed to," Leia said, hoping she sounded as confident and regal as her father when he was using his serious voice. "I'm looking for someone. Someone very important," she said. "Can you help me find them?"

"Sure," Ani said amenably. "Who would you like me to find for you?"

Leia paused and thought for a second.

Her first thought was Luke. After all, she was quite worried for him. He put himself at risk by trying to fight the Inquisitors and lead them away from her. But she did not come here to talk about Luke. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and spoke as clearly as possible.

"I'm looking for my friend," she declared. "She's tall, she's orange and she has two pointy things sticking out of her head here," she motioned at her head.

"Oh," Ani said, confused. "Are you talking about her hair?"

"No! She's not human, you idiot!" Leia hissed. "And, and she has two of these," she motioned, trying to imitate Ahsoka's long tail-thingies that hung on either side of her head. "They're this long and they go all the way down to her waist."

"Hm," Ani said, "I'm afraid I don't really understand what you're talking about. Why don't you tell me something else about her that would help me to know what she's like?"

"She..." She's brave and smart and kind, Leia thought to herself. She was willing to sacrifice herself for Ben and me. And she convinced Reva to turn back to the Light. She's a real Jedi even though she keeps saying that she's not really one.

Ani smiled as if he could read her thoughts. "It seems your friend is a very brave and kind soul," he said. "You must really treasure her a lot. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding her."

"What do you mean?'" she demanded. "You're not even going to try to look for her yourself?"

Ani shrugged. "Well, you know her way better than me," he said dumbly. "I think it makes more sense for you to look for her, don't you? After all, if I did it, I'd probably be no good at it."

Leia wanted to snap his throat in half. She quietly seethed with rage, wishing she wasn't so short. Then she could stomp on his feet and push him over.

"But I can help you," Ani said. "I can tell that you are quite strong in the Force yourself. You could be a great Jedi if you tried."

Leia blinked, surprised. Nobody had ever said that to her before. "You think so?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, I can tell," Ani nodded. "I can feel the Force all around you. It's like a big, fluffy blanket. It's all around you and it follows you everywhere because it really likes you."

"How do I make it obey me?"

"Easy," Ani said. "Just tell it what you want, and it should listen to you."

Leia closed her eyes. I want to see Ahsoka, she said in her mind, then tried to picture her. The image was blurry and hazy at best. She tried to reach out to her, but she could not feel anything. She groaned out loud with frustration.

"It's not going to work," she said. "You do it!"

"Come on," Ani said, "Just give it a try, okay? And then you can give up if it doesn't work."

Leia crossed her arms and huffed audibly. Ani just laughed. "Okay, tell me what to do then," she ordered.

"Just focus on your friend," Ani said carefully, "And send all your thoughts and feelings towards them using the Force. But you have to keep your mind completely focused, or it won't work."

Leia closed her eyes again.

Ahsoka, she thought. Please, tell me where you are. Come back to me. I miss you.

Ben misses you, too. I know he doesn't say it out loud, but he's worried for you. He still thinks of you like his Padawan, you know. He'd be super worried if anything happened to you.

I think Reva also misses you. She doesn't like having to follow me around and supervise me. I think she would like a break from being the babysitter. You should come back quickly so she doesn't have to anymore. I also don't think she has any friends, so maybe it would be good for you to talk to her.

I know that you feel like you had to stay behind and fight the scary tattooed man and Vader because he was your Master. But you don't owe anything to him, or to me. You are your own person Ahsoka. I don't know if you will ever hear this, but you shouldn't feel obliged to stay behind and die with him. Vader is in the past. He's no longer the person you knew.

Finally, her mind started to clear a bit. Leia blinked, as a vision briefly appeared to her for a second. "I saw her!" she said loudly, opening her eyes and startling Ani. "She's in the Outer Rim talking to another guy who looks like Rex! They're flying past an asteroid field and a red planet with a bunch of moons!"

"There you go," Ani said. "See? Wasn't that easy? I told you," he grinned. "You're a natural at this!"

Leia looked back up at him. "Yeah, I guess so," she said. "Um...thank you, Ani," she said hesitantly.

"You're welcome," Ani smiled brightly. "I'm glad that I was able to be of service to you, Your Majesty."

Leia stared at him for a moment then took a deep breath. "Leia," she said. "My name is Leia."

"I see," Ani nodded. "Leia. That's a pretty name." He gazed off into the distance absentmindedly, absorbed in his own little world. "I had a name too once. But I don't remember it anymore."

Leia could feel her consciousness starting to slip away. Soon the dream was going to come to an end and she would have to wake up. "Will I ever see you again?" she asked nervously.

Ani shrugged. "Perhaps," he said, absentmindedly lifting his hand so he could push his hair out of his face. "That depends on whether you decide to come back here."

Leia froze as she saw the glint of metal on his right arm.

Flesh and blood isn't supposed to feel cold like that.

"Who...who are you really?" she stammered.

Ani blinked, confused. "What do you mean, who am I?" he asked. "I'm myself, aren't I?"

Suddenly, her vision began to turn blurry. Leia grabbed at the front of her clothes, trying to cam herself. In front of her, Ani's form slowly faded out of existence as she suddenly became aware of her rapidly decreasing time. Everything seemed to narrow down to the sound of her breathing, which had become louder and louder until all she could hear was the familiar sound of labored breaths filtered through a vocoder mask.

"Unless...you're remembering me from somewhere else?" Ani asked quietly.

Leia squeezed her eyes shut.

No, no, she thought to herself. Not him. It's not him. He's not... he can't reach me...

The sound of mechanical breathing filled her ears and she screamed aloud.

Just then, her eyes flew open. She was no longer in the world of dreams. As she looked around her, she could see that she was in her room. Next to her. Breha and Bail had collapsed in the chairs they had pulled up next to her bed and were sleeping soundly.

Leia immediately sat up abruptly and threw off the thick duvet that Bail had placed on her. Beside her, Bail and Breha Organa stirred sleepily.

"Leia, you're awake already?" Breha yawned. "It's so early, go back to sleep-"

"I know where Ahsoka is!" Leia said loudly, and Bail's eyes widened. "She's out in the Outer Rim near a planetary system that has at least a thousand moons and asteroids! We have to come get her."

Bail Organa sat up straight. "I'll alert all of our investigators," he said. "We'll try to send her a discreet signal."

"Ahsoka is alive?" Breha gasped. "Oh, we should tell General Kenobi! He must have been so worried for her-"

Both of them rushed out of the room. LOLA flitted in and Leia smiled tiredly at her, reaching out her hands so the little droid could come nestle in them. LOLA flew into them, and Leia hugged her tightly to her chest.

Moments later, Bail Organa rushed back in with Breha not far behind. "Leia, we just received signal from Ahsoka! Wouldn't you believe it, we found her in the Outer Rim near the Ash Worlds. How did you know, you marvelous little wonder? How did you do it?"

Leia shrugged, her brain too fuzzy to think of a proper answer. "I just used the Force," she said simply.

Breha's eyes widened, and both parents' heartbeats increased as they took in the news that their daughter was a Jedi. Breha immediately reached over and took Leia into her arms, crying about how much she had missed her and cooing over what a wonderful little miracle she was. Bail rambled on, telling her everything that he had discussed with Ahsoka and their plans for how they would bring her back-

Leia just nodded silently and listened to them talk over one another. She was relieved to hear that Ahsoka was safe and had finally been located. Once she got her hands on a comlink, she would probably also contact the medic lady Kaeden and tell her the good news so she could rush to Alderaan herself. Then she would have to talk to Obi-Wan and Reva about Luke, and maybe trying to see if they could arrange for him to get some sort of royal protection from the Inquisitors. Just in case they ever decided to go looking for him again.

As the joy and excitement of being reunited with Ahsoka washed over all of them, a certain darkness continued to hang over her. She could not help being slightly troubled by the events of her dream.

It's not real, she thought to herself. None of that actually happened. That was just...a ghost. It's a part of your imagination, and you're a big baby who forgot to brush your teeth before sleeping. That's why your dreams came out all weird.

She knew deep down that was not true. But for a moment, Leia did not care. She wanted nothing more than to be a coddled kid that still naively believed in silly tall tales. That was all she wanted for now; to be a normal, unburdened eleven-year-old.

Unfortunately, she was well aware that would never be her reality again.