By Kristin Greenwood

Prologue

It was the middle of the night when Bail Organa’s old friend paid a call on him. When his doorman said the name over the com, Bail had quickly ushered him in. A look of surprise crossed his face when his friend, clothed in a hooded robe, entered his chambers followed by a young woman, crying softly and holding two babies.

"Leia, really, you’re doing this all wrong. Pay attention!" Princess Leia Organa snapped up her head at her aunt’s demand. Her datapad slipped out of her hands and clattered onto the table. Aunt Rogue sighed. "Please, Leia, you must pay attention. This is important!" she said, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle in her dress. Leia looked across the table at her aunt, wishing that she could end this session early. Since she had no mother, her three aunts, Aunt Rogue, Tia, and Celly had tried to help her father raise her. She loved all of her aunts, but Aunt Rogue was all work and no fun. She wondered if she could mumble a decent excuse and leave early.

"Aunt Rogue, we’ve been going at this for an hour already.." she started. Calculating the budget of the Royal House of Alderaan wasn’t exactly her favorite pastime. Aunt Rogue threw up her hands.

"What will I do with you, Leia? You should act more like Winter. And you wonder why people mistake her for the princess and not you...." she took a deep breath, and then smiled. "Go on, get out of here," she said quietly. Leia gave her aunt a grateful look and quickly left.

It was a beautiful day in the city of Aldera, as predicted for the late spring. Leia stepped out of the doorway of Aunt Rogue’s house and let the sunlight hit her face. She stood there for a moment before climbing into her personal landspeeder and taking off.

While driving through one of Aldera’s many marketplaces, her comlink alerted her with a soft beep. Thumbing it on with a free hand, she heard her Aunt Tia’s friendly voice.

"Leia, darling, did you finally get free of Aunt Rogue? I figured you’d find some way to get out of all that work. You always do." Leia laughed.

"Yes, Aunt. Is there something you wanted to ask me? I’m on my way home." she said, pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"I was just wondering if you’d seen Winter lately. You both are late for your weapons practice, you know. I didn’t dare ask your father. He still doesn’t like the whole idea of you handling a blaster." Tia said softly. Leia checked her chrono. She was already ten minutes late.

"Oh, no. Thanks for reminding me, Aunt Tia. I’ll stop by later and say hello." she quickly flicked off her comlink and headed full speed towards the targeting range.

*******************************************

Leia’s eyes searched the flat plateau, seeing nothing. She gripped her blaster tightly and took a step forward. Then she saw it. The tall, monstrous alien appeared out of nowhere, it’s own blaster raised. Leia’s quicker-than-lightning reflexes acted almost immediately. In one swift motion, she aimed and fired. The red blaster bolt sizzled through the aliens chest before it could let off one shot. It screamed and died. Leia let out her breath and lowered her blaster. Behind her, Havana Groon whistled.

"I would hate to not be on your side in combat, Princess," she said, and pressed a button on the remote she was holding. The holo of the dead alien flickered and then went out. "The two of you combined make a pretty powerful team. I don’t think you two need me anymore." Havana smiled and looked from Leia to Winter.

"Thank you, Havana. We appreciate you doing this for us." Winter said softly. Leia looked at her friend. Winter was a tall, regal girl with beautiful features and long white hair. Leia had always envied Winter’s looks. She thought her own face and brown hair, much longer than Winter’s, was plain and boring. Winter holstered her blaster, and Leia did the same. Walking towards Leia’s landspeeder, Winter remarked,

"You’re late for everything, Leia. Where were you this time?" Leia sighed.

"I was with Aunt Rogue. Calculating budgets. You know I wouldn’t miss that for the world," she said, hopping into the drivers seat. Winter climbed in next to her. "I promised Aunt Tia I’d stop by today. Do you want to come?" Leia asked. Winter nodded solemnly. Leia shook her head.

"You are no fun, you know that?" she said. Winter smiled.

"I know."

**************************************************

Aunt Tia met the two girls at the door.

"It’s wonderful to see you two again! Come inside, come inside!" Tia ushered Leia and Winter inside the door. Leia’s other Aunt, Aunt Celly, was lounging in a self-forming chair, hand on her forehead.

"Hello, Leia..." she said absently. Aunt Tia shook her head.

"Celly’s been into my Corellian ale again...Celly, how many times have I told you to stay away from my wine cellars?" she cried. Leia saw Winter suppress a laugh.

She felt something rubbing at her legs and looked down to see one of Aunt Tia’s pittens trying to use her shoe as a scratching post. It’s light green fur was silky and it’s eyes were wide. Aunt Tia scooped it up. "The pittens are doing well today, come and see them!" she cooed. Leia smiled. Aunt Tia was very fond of her four pittens, Fluffy, the green one, Taffy, the orange one, Winkie, the blue one, and AT-AV-"All Terrain Attack Vehicle" the pale pink one. Leia had named that one herself. AT-AV was the runt of the litter, and was Leia’s personal favorite.

After playing with the pittens, Aunt Tia came up to Leia.

"I just got the most disturbing message from your father. It seems that he’s heard news from someone about the Empire. He wouldn’t tell me much, but he wants you home immediately," she whispered, and Leia and Winter exchanged glances. "You’d better be going," Tia said softly. She pointed at Leia’s blaster.

"You two had better hide those before you get home. Your father will have a fit, Leia," she said. Leia and Winter thanked her and left.

On the way home, neither of the two girls spoke. Leia couldn’t imagine what was wrong with her father. Being the Viceroy and First Chairman of Alderaan, he was faced with a lot of decisions, but none of them were major enough that he needed her help. Leia didn’t mind that much. Just being a senator was tough enough for her, and after watching her father work in the Old Republic, she decided that she didn’t really want to take on anything like her father’s work. Bail was a tall, quiet man, and Leia had utmost respect for him. So did most of the people on Alderaan. He held together Alderaan’s people, it was he that banned weapons and violence from the peaceful planet.

Returning to the Royal House, Leia and Winter were almost immediately summoned into Bail Organa’s meeting chambers. He met them, and Leia could detect the worry in his eyes.

"Leia we have a problem. I’ve received word from the Rebels we have established on Toprawa that the Empire is planning to build a new superweapon, called the Death Star." he said quietly, and Leia heard Winter gasp. Rebels. The word surged through her mind. Her father and a few others were working together to formalize a Rebellion against the Empire. Even though Bail told her to stay out of it, Leia helped out too, making supply runs and keeping in communication with them. Bail cleared his throat and continued. "Leia, dear, I need your help. The Rebels have managed to steal a copy of the superweapon blue-print plans. You’re to go to Toprawa to get the plans and bring them back here. But there is something else. I also need you to get to the planet of Tatooine and bring back my old friend, General Kenobi, with you. No one must know of your missions except your crew. Do you understand?" Leia looked over at Winter. She was wringing her hands in a pleading gesture.

"Of course, Father. Winter and I will leave immediately." she said finally. Bail cleared his throat.

"Leia, you’re nineteen. Past the Age of Responsibility here on Alderaan, and as my daughter, you’re expected to take that seriously. You’re much too old to have your childhood playmate tag along with you wherever you go. Besides, I’m holding a meeting with some officials while you’re away, and I’ll need the help of Winter’s.....talents." Leia rolled her eyes. She knew the special talent Winter possessed just as much as he did. Winter had a holographic memory. Most people remember things, and as they get older, the memories fade away, but Winter could remember everything she saw or heard, which made her quite useful in important meetings. Leia’s father knew this, of course, and used it to his advantage. She looked over at Winter again. She was twirling a strand of white hair around her index finger and avoid Leia’s eyes. She hated meetings more than anyone, because she could remember every boring detail. Leia sighed.

"Fine. I will go alone."

*****************************************

On board the Tantive IV, a blockade runner often used by her father, Leia threw her datapad on the table and rubbed her eyes. Getting up from her lounging position in her chair, she crossed the room to her mirror. Glimpsing her reflection, she made a disgusted face. Dressed in a plain, long, white dress, she thought she looked rather plain. But her hair was far worse. Even though she was one year past the Age Of Responsibility, her father had ordered a hairdresser to come in this morning and put her hair into two tight buns, one on each side of her head. They looked hideous, but it kept her waist-long hair out of her face, and that was all she cared about at the moment. She thought about putting a message through to Captain Antillies asking when they would arrive at Topwara, but she decided against it. Suddenly, the entire ship lurched, and Leia had to grab onto her dresser to keep from falling over. She flung open her door, just as one of the technicians was running down the hallway.

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency! We’ve been hit by a Star Destroyer coming out of hyperspace!" he cried. The ship rocked again.

"Well, make a micro-jump! Anything! How did the Empire know we were coming?" she cried. The technician shrugged. Almost as if on cue, Leia heard the hyperdrive engines hum to life. Thank the gods for Wedge Antilles, she thought. The technician hurried on his way, and Leia went back into her room.

*********************************************

After personally making sure that the Death Star Plans were locked securely into the ship’s computer banks and the navicomputer was set for Tatooine, Leia relaxed for the first time in hours. The meeting on Topwara had been a tight one, Leia had caught herself holding her breath for good luck one too many times. She felt the hum of the engines again, and they started on the long trek home. She threw herself down in a chair in her room to think. She still didn’t know what a Star Destroyer was doing trying to follow them, but Captain Antilles had assured her that they had lost the Destroyer in their many micro-jumps to Topwara.

Leia tried to think what her family was doing right now. She imagined that Aunt Rogue was probably primping herself in front of one of her many mirrors, Aunt Tia was playing and fussing over her beloved pittens, and Aunt Celly, well, you never quite knew about her. Winter and Father were probably still in their meeting. For once, Leia didn’t envy something Winter had that she didn’t. She would hate to be in all of those meetings.

Suddenly, a warning light flashed red over her doorway. Leia stood up. She heard the hyperdrive engines die, and then the sound all sentinents hated most, turbolaser fire.

"We’re being fired on? AGAIN?" she said to herself. The Tantive rocked and shook violently. Her door was thrown open, and two of her guards rushed in, grabbed her by the arms, and proceeded to drag her down the hallway.

"We have to get you to the escape pods, Princess!" one shouted breathlessly. Leia heard an alarm sound all over the ship. Leia planted her feet firmly on the floor.

"Take me to the bridge!" she ordered.

The bridge was pure chaos. Technicians and engineers were scurrying frantically across the deck, and most of the crew were crying out, causing pure pandemonium. Above all of the noise, one voice cried,

"Where’s the Princess?" Leia’s guards waved their arms. Captain Wedge Antilles hurried over to Leia, his face flushed. He turned on the guards. "I thought I told you to get her out of here!" he cried. The guards shrugged helplessly. Leia looked around her.

"What's going on?" she asked. The Tantive rocked violently again, and Leia could hear the turbolaser fire, louder this time.

"It's the same Star Destroyer that flogged us on our way to Topwara. I thought we had lost them. I ordered your guards to get you on an escape pod and send you down to Tatooine before the boarded us." he said, and glared at the guards again.

"Boarded us?" Leia cried. She could hear the technicians screaming that they were being locked in the Star Destroyers tractor beam. Wedge nodded gravely. "But there's enough escape pods for you all to get away! We don't have much time, you must hurry!" she said. A few crew members jumped up, but Wedge held up both hands.

"No! Our orders are to get you, the Death Star plans from Toprawa and whomever you're getting from Tatooine safely back to Alderaan. And that's what we're going to do. No matter what the cost." he bellowed. He pulled a wafer out of his pocket and gave it to her. Leia didn't need to ask what information it contained. She knew it was the Death Star plans. Leia looked at the floor, too ashamed to look anyone in the eye. They wouldn't even save themselves. Wedge looked back at her. "I'm sorry, Princess." he mumbled softly, and then motioned to Leia's guards. They reacted on an instant, pulling her towards the door. She felt she ship rock again. She turned to look back as she was lead through the door. "I'm sorry." Wedge said again.

Crouching low between two bulkheads, Leia heard a loud, piercing whine that told her the Imperials were boarding. She reached down into the folds of her dress and brought out her blaster. Thanks, Havana, she thought. She heard the marching footsteps of the Rebel Fleet troopers come treading down the hallway. The whining stopped. Time stood still. Leia still had time to make it to the escape pods, but she was going to try her best to save the people on her ship. Suddenly, she heard a swish as the doors came open, and blaster fire ensued. Leia flattened herself against the bulkhead and out of view. Checking the charge on her blaster, she let out a few shots. A red blaster bolt was fired towards her, hitting the wall next to her head and barely missing her shoulder. She managed to peek down the corridor when the shooting stopped, and was horrified. Rebel trooper bodies lay scattered aimlessly on the floor. Only a few stormtrooper bodies were laying with them. Leia stepped out of the shadows when she heard more footsteps. Ducking back, she saw a whole group of Rebels being led by stormtroopers. Taking a chance, she raced across the hallway.

Leia managed to slide herself in between two of the massive escape pods, out of obvious view. The shooting was louder now, and she knew it wouldn't be long before someone came looking for her. She raised her blaster and looked out. Blaster fire died away, and Leia let her self breathe easy. She felt the wafer in her pocket, and she knew she wouldn't be able to get off the ship. But she had to get the message to General Kenobi somehow...... Suddenly, she heard metal footsteps. Her first reaction was stormtroopers. But then she heard a high, tinny voice cry,

"Artoo, we're doomed!" Knowing this was her only hope, Leia stepped into the hallway in time to see a shiny R2 unit rolling towards her, with a golden protocol droid following a short distance behind...........................................................

Epilogue

Leaning against the doorframe of the small Ewok hut, Leia sighed. She touched the synthflesh that Han had put on her shoulder to cover the blaster burn with her finger. Most of the pain was gone. She rubbed her eyes, weak with fatigue. The victory celebration with the Ewoks had lasted forever. She was still wearing her celebration dress. She heard C-3PO's high, prissy voice talking to Chief Chippewa, the head Ewok. She couldn't understand what he was saying, but she hoped he remembered what she had told him last night. She had met with Luke and the others, and they planned to leave the next day. True, the Ewoks had greatly helped the struggling Rebels, but Leia was getting tired of seeing small, overstuffed teddy bears everywhere she looked. Suddenly, a Rebel engineer hurried up to her.

"A call for you on the private channel, Your Excellency," he said, and handed her a small comlink. "She wouldn’t tell me her name, but she said that you would know an AT-AV?" his face was filled with absolute confusion. Leia gave a small nod and he turned and left. Could it be? she thought. Aunt Tia? but she knew she was wrong. She had read the death count over four years ago. The word deceased still burned in her mind, the word that had been posted next to all of her friends and relatives. She timidly flipped on the comlink.

End