Feedback is A Good Thing. Flames with be fed to an obliging
Dragon, after
I've composed a rather scathing retort. Nice Stuff will be printed out
and
framed.
Disclaimer: GL owns these people, except maybe for Ashilem... kinda.
**
Visitations
By Jewels
Leia pushed her food around on her plate, staring at the green mush she
created through her work. She rolled a couple of peas until they made a
smiley face in the mulch.
"Leia, dear, don't play with your food." Ashilem Organa smiled kindly at
her daughter, who pulled a face.
"Doesn't taste nice anyway." Leia said in her inimitable seven-year old
fashion, shoving the plate away from her and folding her arms childishly.
Trying desperately not to fidget, she frowned and glared at the table.
"Leia!" said Ashilem, mildly annoyed with her daughter's behaviour. "That
is no way to behave at the table. You are a daughter of the House Organa.
It is-"
"Unseemly to behave in a manner which is so childish." Leia filled in for
Ashilem, parroting her mother word for word. She didn't really understand
the words, but had heard them enough times. "I know, I know..." she
muttered, unfolding her arms and plucking at the sleeve of her dress.
"Leia... are you nervous about something?"
Leia's head snapped up at that unexpected question. "No." she said quickly.
"Why?"
"I'm just curious." Ashilem shot her daughter a strange look and then
stabbed a green and crunchy vegetable on her plate with her fork. In truth,
Ashilem knew enough about Leia to know that when she didn't eat, she was
nervous. Ashilem wished that Bail were there, but he was dealing with some
of the latest machinations in the Senate, and had had to leave Alderaan
for
a while. Bail understood their daughter far better than Ashilem ever would,
and Ashilem knew it.
"Can I go?" said Leia, all of a sudden.
"You can, but you may not." said Ashilem primly, using her fork to gesture
at Leia, indicating that she should try again.
"Mother, please may I leave the table?" the words came out in a rush, with
no real sentiment behind them, but Ashilem sighed and indicated that Leia
could go. The small girl jumped down from her chair and headed out of the
door, in the direction of her room.
Ashilem set down her own fork and suddenly pushed her plate away. For some
reason, she'd lost all her appetite.
**
Leia bounded into her room and sat down with barely restrained impatience.
She tried reorganising her stuffed toys - in the shapes of various
creatures from various worlds - and tidied the little desk she had by
shoving some of her learning disks into the drawers, slamming them shut
as
they became full. She was just contemplating what she should do next as
she
heard a low chuckle behind her.
"I do not think," came a soft voice, "that your drawers will ever bother
you again."
Letting out a squeal of delight, Leia rushed into the arms of her mother
-
her real mother... and hugged fiercely. The blue apparition hugged her
back, and Leia felt the hair on her arms rise as she did so. Whenever she
hugged Amidala, Leia had the feeling that she had when touching a power
conduit, contained power, untouchable, but there nonetheless.
"How's my little one been?" asked Amidala kindly, sitting on her daughter's
bed stroking Leia's hair with hands that, while present, were somehow
insubstantial.
"Bored." replied Leia, and watched as Amidala's face broke out into a
kindly smile. Leia loved making her mother smile, it made it seem like
her
mother was happy, but Leia could always feel the sadness from her mother.
So sad...
"With all the work that Bail and Ash make you do?" Amidala teased.
"Poltiks?" Leia said, making a face. "No fun." She saw the smile on her
mother's face again and felt relieved. Leia would act like a complete clown
to keep that smile there, it made her mother seem beautiful.
"You'll get used to it." said Amidala, giving her daughter a hug. Leia
felt
like she could fall through the figure if she pushed too hard. But the
embrace made her feel loved, and cared for. "I did."
"Really?" Leia perked up. "What did you used to do?" she asked, eyes wide
with curiosity.
Leia was surprised by the look of reticence on her mother's face. Amidala
had never been less than completely honest with her, telling her
everything she asked about.
"Some things I hope you never have to do." said Amidala after a pause that
had stretched into minutes. She reached over an picked up one of Leia's
stuffed toys, examining it with a distant expression.
"It's a kaadu." said Leia, eager to impress Amidala with her knowledge.
"They came from a planet in the Outer Rim."
"Do you know which planet?" asked Amidala, her eyes intent.
"Um..."
Amidala set the stuffed kaadu down. "They came from a planet called Naboo.
Do you know anything about Naboo?"
Leia shook her head, her eyes conveying that she wanted to know about the
planet. "No."
"Leia, my little angel," Amidala brushed her fingertips over her daughter's
cheek, and Leia felt that almost-static sensation again. "Remember this:
pacifism does not make you invulnerable. And never, ever, let anyone tell
you what is best for the world."
**
Ashilem sat waiting for Bail in the office that the Vicerene used to
organise her official affairs. It was fairly well appointed, but Ashilem
tried to spend as little time as possible in there, so the room had an
austere, un-lived in appearance. She wanted to pace, but that would have
been unseemly.
Finally, Bail walked in, having come from an off-world meeting with Mon
Mothma. They embraced briefly, and it took less than ten seconds for Bail
to realise that his wife was troubled.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Leia..." Ashilem started, but was cut off by Bail.
"Leia? Is she hurt? Is she ill?"
Ashilem held up a hand to stop the torrent of questions that she knew were
inevitable. Bail was as protective of Leia as if she were his own daughter.
Ashilem supposed that he did consider her his daughter, having raised her
since she was only a few months old, after Amidala had left the child in
their care. Ashilem, while devoted to Leia, didn't quite feel a mother's
love for her, but did consider her little 'daughter' one of the more
precious things in her life.
"She's not injured... physically." Seeing the look in Bail's eyes, Ashilem
sighed and ran a hand through her long brown locks, which she had pulled
out of their plaits in order to ease a tension headache that had bee
building. "I think Leia has an 'invisible friend'."
Bail hesitated. "Well... I suppose her training..."
"Keeps her away from other children her own age." finished Ashilem when
Bail faltered. "Bail, she's ten years old. Sometimes I wonder if we push
her too hard. It's not good for her. The only friends she knows are tutor
droids and any of the servants."
Bail knew that Ashilem had probably already decided on a course of action,
but he nodded, to indicate that she should continue.
"I was thinking that Leia perhaps needs a companion."
Bail tried to hide his amusement. "And I assume you have someone in mind."
Ashilem stared at him, then smiled slightly, acknowledging that Bail had
caught her sorting out everything, as usual. "Well, yes. You know that
Tienna, has a daughter - Winter. She's Leia's age, and she'd be perfect
for
a companion."
Bail thought for a moment. "I think I know Winter, I've seen her with her
mother on occasion. A girl with white hair, perfect recall?"
Ashilem nodded. "That's her."
"Well, I don't see why not. And if it would help Leia come out of her
'invisible friend' stage."
"Good. Winter will be here tomorrow morning. I've already told Leia."
**
At sixteen years of age, Leia stood in front of the entrance to the
Alderaan box in the senate, tugging nervously at her white robes.
"Leia, stop that." chided Winter, decked out as an aide to the Senator.
Leia and Winter were there for their first real senate session. It wasn't
the first time that Leia had been in the senate, but it was the day that
Bail was to officially present Leia as Alderaan's new representative. As
one of the more important planets in the Empire, Leia knew that people
would be interested in the event.
"You'll only rumple it." continued Winter. "And you don't want to appear
in
front of the Emperor in rumpled robes."
Leia gaped at her Companion. "The Emperor's making an appearance?" The
Emperor usually left the running of the senate to the vice-chancellor,
citing the difficulties in running the Empire as precluding his appearance
at every senate session. But when he did turn up...
"That's all I need." muttered Leia, putting her head in her hands.
"I'll go and get your datapad." said Winter, and headed off to get it.
*My angel...*
Leia glanced up and looked around for the source of the voice, but saw
no
one. She shook her head, trying to banish the voice. It sounded so
familiar...
"Here." said Winter, handing her the datapad and steering her in the
direction of the box. "Now, don't forget what you were taught. Speak
clearly, and-"
*Don't let anyone intimidate you.*
Leia stopped and blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"I said," Winter repeated, "Don't let anyone intimidate you."
"Oh. Don't worry." Leia managed to smile, then stepped into the Alderaan
box, taking one of the seats assigned for the senators, Winter taking one
of those designated for aides, guests, or protectors. Not for the first
time, Leia mused as she peered over the side of the box to the floor so
far
below that it was shrouded in shadow, that you could not be afraid of
heights if you wanted to be a senator.
She and Winter discussed various matters in low tones until a murmur
running through the Senate Chamber made them both look to the podium,
Emperor Palpatine had taken the Podium and was beginning to speak, his
sibilant tones filling the chamber courtesy of the sound system.
*He is evil incarnate, my child. Walk with care.*
**
"No, no, no. Absolutely not."
"Father!"
Bail waved his hands in a sharp cutting gesture. "No. I forbid it."
"Father, this is essential for me. I will need these skills, whether you
approve of them or not." Leia pressed.
"You sound like Mon Mothma." muttered Bail disparagingly, sitting down
heavily in an over-stuffed chair. Leia could see the lines around his eyes
and on his forehead, he seemed to have aged decades in a matter of a few
short years, ever since Ashilem had been killed in an incident involving
her transport, and a group of pirates. Bail had never been the same since.
"Open, violent rebellion is not the way to go."
Leia held up her hands beseechingly. "It will be the only way to go. The
Empire is getting worse with each passing day, eventually there will be
a
revolution, and I would at least be able to defend myself."
"Pacifism is the way of our people, Leia," snapped Bail, reaching up to
rub
his temple.
"Pacifism does not make you invulnerable!" retorted Leia sharply.
Bail gave her such an odd look at that phrase that she hesitated. "Who
said
that to you?" he asked after a moment.
"I can't remember," answered Leia, blithely, but honestly.
"It does not matter," said Bail, waving a hand dismissively. "Our way of
life is peaceful, our lives pacifistic, I will not allow my daughter to
throw that aside for something that may never happen."
"The Naboo were pacifistic, and their planet was razed to the ground."
Leia
pointed out.
"How do you know about Naboo?!" demanded Bail with such a frightening glare
that Leia had to choke her next words out.
"I researched it." She said, then took a deep breath and plunged on. "They
were assured protection from the Old Republic, but their pacifism assured
their destruction. If Alderaan does not do something soon to protect itself
against the Empire..."
"No." Bail shook his head. "Pacifism is best for our world, and that is
the
way it shall remain." He hesitated. "However, Leia, you and Winter will
have self-defense and weapons handling lessons arranged."
Leia reached up and hugged him, aware that she had won a victory against
him. "Thank you." she whispered.
Leia crept out of the room, and Bail sat heavily in his chair, rubbing
his
temples with his hands. "I hope I'm not going to regret this." he muttered.
Amidala wrung her hands together, watching after the departing figure of
her daughter, unseen by all. "So do I, Bail," she told her old friend,
even
though she knew he couldn't hear her. "So do I."
-Fini